No Turning Back
by JustRaeInc
Summary: (COMPLETE)Ginny is in love. Harry is in denial. When Harry and Ginny share their first kiss, there's no turning back. Also featuring Hot and Evil Draco along with Slutty Lavender Brown. Curious? Please read and review.
1. Part I

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IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are the kind of reader who only enjoys sex and slash, this is not the story for you. This story is rated R for language, insinuations, and a love scene that will not occur until a later chapter.  
  
**Author's Note**: Now that we have gotten rid of the weirdos, I hope- **Jen: WE!** - Yes, I mean, _we_ hope that you enjoy this epic tale filled with love, heartbreak, jealousy and all of the other usual misunderstandings that come with falling in love. **Jen: Hahaha! This story is screaming oscar!** Rae: Yea, right. 

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An Important Author's Note: For those of you who have read our story before, we are sorry we have taken so long to update. However, we have had problems with our account and have had to start a new one. We now have no record of reviews for this story *sob*, but before we ran into problems, we did have 109 reviews. Jen and I would like to thank all those reviewers. We are sorry to everyone for the inconvenience.  
  
**Disclaimer**: We do not own Harry Potter. We do not know Harry Potter. We have never met Harry Potter or any of his friends. All we do is take J.K. Rowling's characters, twist their lives, break their hearts, and make them cry.  
  
No Turning Back

By: RaeJen Inc.

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Part I

While every sensible student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was in Hogsmeade and enjoying one of the last warm Saturdays of the year, four students had been silently studying together in the library for the past four hours.

Therefore, Harry Potter wasn't too shocked to look up from his potions book to find his best friends, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, locking lips with one another. The sight was definitely not unfamiliar to Harry or to Ginny Weasley, Ron's little sister. 

Although Ginny was in her 6th year while the other three were in their 7th, she had become great friends with Hermione over the years, and lately, with Harry. While the new couple had been snogging incessantly, Harry had found Ginny to be very great company, and they had been through so much together already with Voldemort's return to power. Harry had always thought Ginny to be quiet and shy until his 5th year when she had begun to show her true self. She was brave, funny, tenacious, and Harry now thought her to be quite fascinating.

He continued to stare at the snogging couple before chancing a glance at Ginny. To his surprise he found her looking at him with a grin on her face, trying desperately to suppress her giggles. He rolled his eyes towards Ron and Hermione trying to suppress his own laughter. Ginny threw them a dramatic look of disgust and turned back to Harry who was silently pretending to vomit. She had to cover her mouth to keep from shouting out with laughter. 

Covering his own mouth as well, Harry motioned for Ginny to follow him and quietly walked out of the library. As soon as they had turned the corner, they both burst out laughing hysterically, clutching their sides.

"Do they ever come up for air?" Ginny asked through her laughter.

"I don't know which is worse really. Their constant bickering or their constant snogging," he replied. This sent the two into another fit of laughter as they fell against the wall, wiping tears from their eyes.

Ginny took deep breaths before commenting with a slight chuckle, "I am so relieved to be out of there. I just couldn't stand another moment being with those two- or studying, for that matter."

"Yeah. It was getting a little- er- stuffy in there," he replied, also getting his breathing under control. Some fresh air suddenly became a necessity to Harry. "Ms. Weasley, might I have your company for a stroll around the lake?" he asked in a mock formal tone before offering his arm.

Giggling like a school girl, which she was, she put her arm through his before replying in an equally formal tone, "Why, that sounds quite lovely, Mr. Potter. Shall we?"

"Yes, we shall."

Harry then proceeded to lead Ginny through the castle very unceremoniously, occasionally tripping over an imaginary object. Ginny responded by repeatedly stepping on his foot. This quickly progressed to them playfully shoving each other back and forth, snickering as they ran out of the castle and headed across the lawns towards the lake.

"It feels so good to be laughing again!" Ginny exclaimed breathlessly, looking at Harry as he stopped to catch his breath. She couldn't help but notice how attractive he had become. Years of quidditch had transformed his skinny frame into a slim but muscular one. He was almost as tall as Ron now and his shoulders were just as broad. His eyes shown as bright as emeralds behind his round glasses which gave him an intelligent look. But his messy, black hair that looked as if he had just tumbled out of bed could only be described as adorable and yet sexy at the same time.

Realizing she had been staring at him, she quickly turned her head to look at the lake just as Harry turned to look at her. His eyes rested on her startling red hair, observing how the sun brought out the natural gold highlights. His gaze then dropped to her sapphire blue eyes, then a little lower to her soft, pink lips. His attention then drifted to the rest of her body, roaming over her every curve before settling on her breasts. He wondered how they would feel in his hands if he- What the hell was he thinking?! This was Ginny Weasley! One of his best friends! And more importantly, Ron's little sister! 

Ginny looked over at Harry, and seeing the distressed look on his face, asked if anything was wrong.

"Oh, um, it's nothing…I was just thinking about uh-the um- the- the quidditch match against Slytherin," he stammered out, feeling his ears go red.

"It will be fine, Harry," she said consolingly, misinterpreting the source of his embarrassment. "With you as our seeker, there's no way we could lose," she said, beaming a smile at him.

"Thanks Gin. You're not a bad chaser either," he replied, smiling back at her.

"Well thank you very much!" she said sarcastically. "With the famous Harry Potter as our seeker, Ronald "the King" Weasley as our keeper, and little me as a fairly good chaser, we're sure to win the cup this year," she joked.

"Ginny!" replied Harry, looking quite harassed, "you know I think that you are better than fairly good!"

"Really?" she asked sincerely.

"Of course!" he replied rather sweetly. "Why, you could score a goal on any three-year-old in England."

"Oh you stupid git!" she yelled in mock outrage as she started to playfully pound his chest with her fist, Harry just standing there, laughing at her.

Finally shoving him away and softly chuckling at their banter, she turned and started walking along the lakeshore. Harry fell in stride beside her, and they wandered around, talking about anything and everything. 

Ginny loved talking to Harry because he would never hold back on her, and she was never afraid to discuss her opinion even when it went against his. Talking to him was almost comforting in a way. She remembered reading to him when he was recovering from his last battle with Voldemort. 

Harry had killed Lord Voldemort at the end of his 6th year, to the relief of everyone in the wizarding world. However, while the whole wizarding world had been celebrating, he had been in a coma with Ginny talking and reading to him at his side. He did vaguely remember hearing her sweet voice through the darkness at some points during his lapse and had been very grateful for it. The death of his godfather, Sirius, had been a very tumultuous time in Harry's life. While everyone else had been busy telling him that it was not his fault or throwing him pitying looks, Ginny had done the one thing that had brought him comfort- she had listened. She was a very valuable friend to him, and he knew that he could never afford to lose that friendship- ever.

Ginny, on the other hand, felt completely different. She valued their friendship, yes, but she knew deep down that she was in love with him and had been for ages. It had been very painful for her to be ignored by him for several years while he would run off with Ron and Hermione. Thus she had been thrilled to become his friend in her 4th year- at least, at first.

But even that joy had faded as the months had gone by, with her longing for him in private- she hadn't even told Hermione. She had cried herself to sleep many nights and had faced many disappointments over the past two years, and she knew it was pathetic of her to be this affected by him…but she couldn't help it. She loved him and would love him for the rest of her life, and, in doing so, she would have to suffer until he realized he loved her, if that would ever happened. Ginny seriously doubted it.

"It's getting a bit late. It's almost sunset," Harry commented, looking towards the west at the rapidly descending sun.

"Oh but it's so nice out, and I really wouldn't mind watching the sunset," she said pleadingly.

"Fine, we'll watch the sunset, but as soon as that sun hits the horizon, we're going to grab Ron and Hermione and head down to eat dinner. I'm starving!" he exclaimed, unconsciously rubbing his stomach.

"Sounds good to me," she replied rather enthusiastically, grinning wickedly to herself as they sat down under a beech tree by the lake. A wintry breeze rippled by, causing Ginny to involuntarily shiver from the unexpected chill. She wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm and continued to watch the sunset when she felt Harry's hand on her shoulder. She turned around and glanced at him curiously, noticing that he looked quite comfortable lounging back against the tree.

"If you're cold you can sit a bit closer to me," he offered, his mind only on her comfort and not the idea of feeling her pressed against him. At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

She smiled her thanks and moved to sit next to him. He placed his arm around her shoulder and hugged her to his side. "Better?" he asked.

"Much," she sighed. It wasn't unusual for them to be so close together. They had sat in this sort of fashion many times, and every time, Ginny had reveled in the feeling of him against her. So had Harry, but afterwards he would mentally shake himself. He had never stopped to analyze his feelings for her; he was too afraid he would discover why he enjoyed having her so close knowing it was wrong to feel that way about her. Was it wrong?

As the sun lowered, the sky went from oranges to pinks and finally to light shades of purple. Harry knew they should be heading back, but he couldn't bring himself to move. It was so peaceful watching the sunset with Ginny against him…it just felt so right- He was doing it again! He had to stop thinking of her that way. Slapping himself mentally, he nudged Ginny gently on the arm.

Ginny who had been drifting off to sleep slowly turned her head to look up at Harry. When his green eyes locked with her beautiful blue ones, Harry knew he was done for. Without realizing it he reached over to brush a stray lock of gorgeous red hair out of her equally gorgeous face. It was as if his hand had a mind of its own as he shoved his fingers into her hair, cupping her head. His lips were suddenly on hers, and it was as if a jolt of electricity had shot through their bodies. 

Ginny ran her hands slowly over his solid chest before letting her fingers tease the hair at his nape. She felt his tongue slide back and forth over her bottom lip, begging to enter. As soon as her lips parted, his tongue came crashing into her mouth, tasting her. Waves of pleasure were flowing over Ginny as she kissed Harry back with all the passion that had been bottled up inside of her for so long. She lay down next to him on the ground and wrapped her arms around his neck, fitting herself perfectly to the contours of his body. 

Harry began running his hands over her back, massaging and stroking her before pressing her shoulders into the ground. His hands began to roam up her sides before finally cupping her breasts. He heard Ginny moan ever so softly- but it was enough to jar him out of his state of desire. He tore his mouth away from hers, swearing softly under his breath before looking at her. Her lips were swollen, her cheeks were flushed, and her hair was slightly rumpled.

He abruptly sprang from the ground and raked his fingers through his hair. What had he done?! He had not only kissed his best friend's little sister, thoroughly, but had been about to feel her up as well! What had he been thinking?! Had he been thinking?! He felt sick with shame at what he had done and became angry for having entirely lost control of himself.

Ginny was in a total state of shock. Bloody hell! He had kissed her! Now he could tell her how he truly felt about her and they could live happily ever after! But why did he have a strange look on his face? Had she done something wrong? She quickly scrambled to her feet and stared at Harry, her heart throbbing impatiently, waiting for him to say something, anything.

"Gin-oh my god- I- I'm so sorry," he stuttered.

Except that. Oh God, this wasn't happening, Ginny thought desperately, slowly stepping towards him. "Harry, it's okay-"

"No Gin, it's not okay. I shouldn't have kissed you. It was a mistake, a big mistake."

Ginny couldn't move, couldn't even breathe. This wasn't the way that she had planned this. The sunset and everything had been perfect; the kiss had been earth-shattering; now was the part when Harry was supposed to say, "Gin, I've loved you from the moment I met you. Please be mine," or some other romantic phrase. He wasn't supposed to say that he was sorry, that it had been a big mistake. This was all wrong.

"What do you mean it was a mistake?! How can you call a kiss like that a mistake?!" she cried out, angry at herself for being so naïve and angry at Harry for being so insensitive.

"Why are you making this so complicated?!" Harry snapped, growing angry as well. "It was a mistake! As in it shouldn't have happened! So let's forget about it!"

"_Forget_ about it?! So, what? We're just supposed to pretend like it never happened because the famous _Harry Potter_ wants to?! How can you be so selfish?!"

"Oh please! Don't make me out to be the bad guy! This was pretty much your fault anyway!"

"My fault?! Excuse me, Harry, but I do believe that you kissed me and not the other way around! So if there is anyone to blame, it's you!"

"Me?! You're the one who had to look at me with those beautiful blue eyes of yours! Hell, if I kissed you it was because _you_ provoked me, therefore making it _your_ fault!" he roared, almost triumphantly.

Ginny didn't know whether to laugh at his asinine logic, scream, or burst into tears at that point. She decided on the first two. "That is the most ridiculous reasoning that I have ever heard! How dare you blame this all on me!"

"Fine! It is just as much my fault as it is yours! The point is, I am not about to ruin our friendship over a silly kiss that meant nothing!" Harry yelled.

A silly kiss that meant nothing?! Ginny raged inwardly. It couldn't have felt any worse if she had been slapped. She felt so frustrated, having had all her deepest desires suddenly in her grasp, only to have them instantly ripped away from her. Afraid she might cry if she said anything else, she just stood there, silently fuming.

"Look Gin," he said, calming down slightly, "I can't lose you over something like this. You're like a sister to me." That, Harry thought, was a lie.

With his last words, Ginny's anguish was now complete. She suddenly felt rage boiling inside of her. It wasn't going to happen this way! she thought frantically. She couldn't- wouldn't pretend that she just wanted to be friends with him any longer! She had shed too many tears for the famous Harry Potter, and it was going to end now!

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Harry," she said coldly before turning away and storming back into the castle, not caring if he followed her or not.

She ran past the Great Hall, now packed with students eating supper, and rushed up the marble staircases towards the common room. After snapping the password at the Fat Lady, she jogged the rest of the way to her dormitories and slammed the door behind her. Having ripped off her clothes, she quickly threw on her pajamas and jumped into her bed, closing the bed hangings around her. Wait- what the hell was she doing? It wasn't even eight o'clock yet! She hadn't even eaten dinner! 

She immediately hurled the covers off of her, jumped out of bed, and was about to change back into her clothes when she realized that Harry would probably be eating dinner too. Was she really ready to confront him again? "Are you really going to let his actions dictate your every move?! If you want to eat, then go eat!" a voice screamed in her head. 

Her mind made up, she got dressed, checked her appearance in the mirror, and headed down to the Great Hall. At the entrance, she glanced at the Gryffindor table looking for a messy mop of black hair. She saw Harry laughing with Ron about something, looking as if nothing had happened. Well if he was going to put on a show, then so was she! She squared her shoulders and entered the Great Hall…

Harry had been thinking of what Ginny had said during their fight when he heard Ron laughing and forced himself to laugh along with him. What was he going to do about her? Why did she have to make this so damn complicated?! 

He suddenly saw the object of his contemplation standing at the entrance of the Great Hall. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Ginny walked over to the table and sat down next to Hermione, directly across from him. She seemed to be looking in every direction but his.

"Hello Hermione! Ron!" she said quite cheerfully, smiling, pointedly ignoring Harry as she piled food on top of her plate.

"Hi Ginny," Harry said softly. Ginny shot a sharp glare at him, then quickly diverted her eyes away.

"Hey Gin. Say, where were you just now?" Ron asked, taking a bite out of his turkey leg.

"Yes Gin, where were you? Harry said that you had run off without telling him where you were going," Hermione remarked, having had witnessed Ginny's strange attitude toward Harry.

"Oh I was just in my room, freshening up before I came down to eat. I was outside with Harry for so long, I was afraid I might look – uh- _spent_." Ginny finished, taking a bite out of her biscuit and continued to avoid eye contact with Harry.

"Mione and I hadn't even noticed that you two had sneaked away while we were- er- busy," Ron added, a slight blush creeping into his cheeks.

"Well, since you two were so- er- busy, Harry and I decided to go for a walk around the lake."

"Oh? And how did that go?" asked Hermione, trying to keep the conversation going, sensing the tension that was building between Ginny and Harry. Ron, of course, was utterly oblivious as usual.

"Well, nothing _interesting_ happened. _Nothing_ at all," Ginny replied in a bored drawl before adding, "You know, it was just one of those _silly_, _meaningless_ afternoons that you _forget_ about." She hastily glanced at Harry who was at the moment, having heard her last statement, coughing uncontrollably into his napkin. "Why Harry, are you all right?" she asked in a tone positively dripping with honey.

Had she actually been throwing his words back in his face? Two could play at this game, Harry thought. Staring at Ginny, he replied in an equally sweet tone, "It's _nothing_ Ginny. I'm perfectly fine," he replied, giving her a brilliant smile that hours before would have made her swoon. Now, all she wanted to do was slap that stupid grin off his face.

Hermione made a mental note to ask Ginny what _that_ had been all about before sticking her nose back into _Hogwarts, A History_. Ron was on his fourth plate of food and still utterly oblivious to what was going on between his little sister and his best friend. Ginny silently picked at her food, not daring to look up at Harry at any cost. 

As for Harry, he was studying his little redheaded friend with a mixture of resentment, amusement, and sadness. That kiss had changed everything, and he knew it. He knew he could never look at her the same way again, like the little sister he had never had, and he hated her for taking that away from him. He knew that their friendship, if it even still existed, would never be like it was before. Just hours ago, he had been talking with her, laughing with her. Now she wouldn't even look at him, and for some reason, it was tearing him apart inside. 

Harry had known what to do with Voldemort. He had killed a powerful dark lord and had faced a sixty-foot basilisk. But, now, however, he didn't even know how to confront his once best friend. He couldn't even decide how he felt about her. He only remembered a new feeling that had arisen in him as he had sat watching the sunset with Ginny. It was warmth and joy and peace all at once- and that feeling was scaring the hell of out him. With that kiss, everything had changed, and there was no turning back.

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	2. Part II

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Author's Note: This chapter contains a very strange and disgusting visual image. Ye be warned.  
  
Without any further ado, here is part two!  


Part II 

Ginny left the feast early, having told Hermione that she had a headache. She was now in her dormitory, sitting at a window, and trying desperately not to think about Harry. Her eyes scanned the treetops of the Forbidden Forest, and then gradually moved on towards the lake. Moonlight reflected off of the black surface, illuminating the water with its pale light. Her gaze eventually drifted towards the shore and settled on a large beech tree, the one that she and Harry had lounged under just hours before, and her thoughts immediately returned to him.

She wanted to remain furious with him for causing her so much pain and heartache. She wanted to hurt him just as much as he had hurt her, but another part of her couldn't be angry with him. He hadn't actually meant to hurt her; he had had no malicious intentions. So what was she supposed to do now? Should she forgive him and try to be friends again? Should she just try to forget about him and move on? Was she even capable of doing either? "What am I going to do?" Ginny asked aloud.

"About what?" 

Ginny, startled, whipped her head around to see Hermione standing by the door, waiting patiently for an answer.

"I was just wondering what I was going to write for my transfiguration essay," Ginny lied smoothly. She had learned the art of deception from her two older brothers, Fred and George, both being masterminds of mischief. 

"Ginny, I know two things. One, you are lying, and two, whatever it is that is bothering you has something to do with Harry," Hermione stated in her all-knowing way.

"I'm going to go work on my essay now, so if you'll excuse me," Ginny responded, ignoring what Hermione had said and making her way towards the door.

Hermione still stood in front of the door, blocking Ginny's only escape, her arms now folded across her chest.

"Hermione, please move," she begged irritably.

"Not until you tell me what's bothering you," Hermione replied firmly.

"The only thing bothering me is you, so will you just move already?!" Ginny snapped, losing her patience rapidly. The last thing Ginny wanted to do was talk about Harry with Hermione. 

"Ginny, whatever it is, you can tell me. I won't tell Harry anything, I promise. Just tell me what's wrong. I'm not letting you leave until you tell me-"

"He kissed me! Harry kissed me! Are you satisfied now?!" Ginny shouted before throwing herself onto her bed and glaring up at the ceiling.

Hermione was _still_ standing at the door, her face a mask of surprise. She hadn't expected that. Quickly getting her thoughts back in order, she sat down next to Ginny and calmly continued her interrogation. "So, Harry kissed you. What happened next?" 

Ginny closed her eyes and responded rather reluctantly, "He said he was sorry and that the kiss was a mistake."

"What else did he say?"

"He said he didn't want to lose our friendship over a silly kiss that meant nothing…that we should just forget it ever happened," Ginny replied bitterly.

"Do you want to forget it ever happened?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Ginny rolled onto her side, holding back the tears that were threatening to fall if she continued. 

"Come on Ginny. You can tell me. Why don't you want to forget about it?"

"Because I love him," she choked out, a dry sob escaping her lips as the tears began to roll down her cheeks. Her secret was out. She loved Harry.

Hermione was once again shocked. Now _that_ had definitely been unexpected. "Does Harry know?" she asked gently.

"No and I don't plan on telling him," Ginny replied, knowing what Hermione was going to say next.

"But Gin! You have to tell him how you feel. He deserves to know-"

"Harry doesn't deserve anything from me! Besides, I already know how _he_ feels."

"How do you know?"

"He told me. He said that I was like a little sister to him. If that's not a rejection, then I don't know what is!" Ginny exclaimed, her anger towards Harry returning full force.

Despite everything that Ginny had said, Hermione doubted that Harry's feelings towards Ginny were of a strictly platonic nature. She had seen the way Harry had often looked at Ginny, with an intense hunger in his eyes as if he wanted to devour her. Hermione recognized that look because Ron usually looked at her in the same fashion. It was certain that Harry desired Ginny, but did he love her? She didn't want to encourage Ginny to pursue him if her feelings weren't reciprocated, but she also didn't want her to give up on Harry either. She decided to compromise.

"Ginny," she began, gaining her friend's attention before she continued, "I really don't think you should take what Harry said to heart. After all, I'm sure he was upset when he said those things. Besides, do you honestly believe that any seventeen-year-old male would admit his true affections towards any girl? Of course not! Men in general are terrified of rejection. Why do you think it took so long for Ron to finally admit that he loved me? I'm not saying that Harry actually loves you in return. I'm just saying that you don't actually know if he does or not, so you shouldn't assume anything," Hermione finished, quite proud of her speech.

Ginny knew Hermione was right. She didn't really know how Harry felt about her. At least, not yet, she amended to herself. But she was definitely willing to find out. But how? She could go to his room, rip off her clothes, and- no, that might be a bit extreme. After about a minute of silent contemplation, Ginny's mind settled on the perfect method of approach- manipulation.

"Hermione, you are absolutely right. I have no clue if Harry loves me or not."

"Of course you don't, which is why you need to tell him how you feel-"

"Oh I'm not about to tell _him_ anything. He's the one who is going to be telling _me_ how _he_ feels," Ginny declared, grinning mischievously.

Hermione didn't like that grin one bit. "And how on earth do you plan to accomplish that?" she asked suspiciously. She could only think of one possible answer- but Ginny wouldn't- couldn't do that! "You aren't going to seduce him, are you?" she asked tentatively.

"The thought had crossed my mind, but I came up with a better idea. However, the first thing I have to do is apologize to Harry," Ginny stated happily. Hermione expelled a sigh of relief, but then was completely dumbfounded at Ginny's last sentence.

"Apologize? So you're going to stay friends with him?" Hermione asked, totally confused at that point.

"That's what I said. Now, would you please stop looking at me as if I have a mandrake growing out of my head!" she said, laughing at Hermione's expression.

"Well you are acting like a lunatic!" Hermione exclaimed with mock gravity.

"If I am acting like a lunatic, it is because Harry is driving me crazy! But I promise, I will be back to normal by Christmas break, if not sooner. That will give me plenty of time to activate my plan."

"I don't even want to know what your _plan_ is," Hermione replied, chuckling. "I'm so glad that I didn't have to go through something like this with Ron."

Ginny immediately grew serious at the mention of her brother's name. "Hermione, you can't tell Ron or Harry about any of this. Promise me you won't tell them anything," Ginny pleaded.

"I promise! Now tell me, is Harry a good kisser?"

The two girls continued their laughing and joking for another hour or so, eventually stopping as the other 6th year girls started pouring in to retire for the night.

Hermione asked Ginny if she wanted to spend the night. She was Head Girl this year, therefore receiving, much to Ron's delight, her own dormitory with a common room and a bathroom, and she shared all of this with the Head Boy. 

After finally defeating Lord Voldemort, it had only been fair for Dumbledore to appoint Harry as Head Boy, especially after naming Ron prefect instead of Harry in his 5th year. Dumbledore had named Ron prefect and not Harry because he had felt that with Voldemort and the prophecy, Harry had had enough on his shoulders. Ron had been quite jealous of Harry- at least he had been until Professor McGonogall had named Ron quidditch captain.

Ginny and Hermione chatted as they walked towards the Head Boy and Head Girl's dormitory, which was located in one of the castle's many towers. They came to a stop in front of a large statue of a lion, it's mouth open in a roar with sharp fangs jutting out menacingly.

"Treacle tart," Hermione stated. The lion slowly yawned before stepping aside to reveal a small door set in the stone wall that led to the common room. Ginny walked in first and glanced around, once again in awe of what greeted her eyes. The large circular room was decorated in Gryffindor colors. The walls were painted a deep scarlet and were adorned with gold moldings. The stone floor was covered in plush carpets, and there were several velvet armchairs and sofas, all done in neutral colors and accented with red and gold pillows. The glow of the fire, crackling cheerfully in the impressive stone fireplace, completed the room's cozy effect.

"Ginny, I promise, nothing has changed in this room since you were here last night," Hermione declared sarcastically, throwing Ginny an amused smirk.

Harry and Ron quickly looked up from their game of chess at the sound of Hermione's voice. Not wanting to look at Ginny just yet, Harry bid a hasty hello to both of the girls before returning his attention back to the chessboard. Ron said hello to both girls also but gave Hermione a wink before returning to the game as well. Ginny and Hermione sat down in armchairs and watched the rest of the game, commenting every now and then.

With Ginny so close, Harry had trouble concentrating on the task at hand. He had to talk to her somehow, although he had no clue what he could possibly say to her. Would she even want to talk to him? Harry soon gave up on his attempts to focus on the game, knowing that he was going to lose anyway. He suddenly felt annoyed at Ginny for invading his every thought. Hell, he couldn't even enjoy a game of chess anymore, he thought angrily.

How can he just sit there and calmly play a game of chess after everything that's happened, Ginny thought, completely exasperated. She sighed, realizing that she couldn't afford to get angry at Harry right now. She had to stick to the plan. Somehow, she had talk to him in private. 

"Checkmate!" Ron exclaimed victoriously, watching gleefully as his queen bashed Harry's king to pieces.

"Ron, do you have a second? I need to show you something," Hermione pleaded, trying to gain eye contact with him.

"Not now Mione. Harry and I were going to play another game-ouch! You stepped on my foo-" Ron stopped short after seeing the seductive look in Hermione's eyes. That look could only mean one thing. 

"Right. Um- we'll be back in a bit. Mione has to- uh- show me- um- something. Right then," Ron finished lamely, before trotting after Hermione who had disappeared into one of the three adjoining rooms. 

Their exit was usually the queue for either Harry or Ginny to crack a joke at the eager couple. Instead, the two remained in stiff silence for several moments. Harry, not being able to just sit there and do nothing any longer, began to clear the chessboard away. It was a couple of seconds before he realized that Ginny was helping him. Completely taken aback, he stared at her curiously. Feeling his gaze, she slowly turned to him, her expression unreadable.

"Harry, I- I wanted to apologize for the way I acted earlier. You were right. It was just a silly kiss, and I completely overreacted. I was very immature about the whole thing. I just hope you can forgive me," she said softly, a small smile tugging at her lips. 

Harry couldn't help smiling back at her, grateful that she had initiated the conversation instead of him. "Well, I'm sure if you grovel a little, I might consider forgiving you," he said teasingly. Ginny started to chuckle, but her expression immediately grew sincere.

"Friends?" 

"Friends," he agreed.

An hour later, Harry and Ginny were facing each other, their backs against the arms of the sofa, legs stretched out in front of them. They were once again cracking jokes and laughing, in celebration of their reunion as friends. Ron and Hermione were still missing in action, which was probably for the best considering how Ginny and Harry's conversation had taken a very naughty turn.

"Snape and Trelawney?" Ginny asked in total disgust.

"Afraid so. I walked in on them last week in his office. I guess Snape forgot I had detention," Harry replied, grinning devilishly.

"So they were actually having sex? On his desk?!"

"Yeah. You should have heard Trelawney!" Harry imitated in Professor Trelawney's soft, misty voice, "Oh, Sevvy, my inner eye sees something. Two planets… colliding… an explosion… poke my inner eye, Sevvy-" Harry was cut off by a pillow hitting him hard against the head and bouncing to the floor. Through his laughter, he saw Ginny clutching her sides, laughing hysterically.

"You are so sick! How dare you p-put th-that i-image into my h-head!" Ginny managed to sputter out. Finally reduced to giggles, Ginny declared with great disdain, "I don't see how anyone could find Snape attractive, even someone as psycho as Trelawney. It's just wrong!"

Harry stroked his chin and stared off into space as if truly considering Ginny's remark before replying in a philosophical tone, "I don't know Gin. There's just something about that mane of greasy, black hair that really turn's me on."

"Don't you mean Malfoy's mane of slick, white blonde hair?" Ginny purred.

"Aha! Who's the sick one now?!" Harry asked, throwing her pillow back at her. She deftly caught it and tossed it aside.

"While we are on the subject of hair, yours has been turning quite a few heads. I'm getting sick of Lavender and Parvati saying stupid things like, 'Oh my gosh, Harry's hair is so gorgeous. I just want to run my fingers through it,'" Ginny remarked, not bothering to hide her annoyance.

Harry smiled arrogantly. "So the girls _do_ talk about me. So, what else do they say?"

"Nothing much, really. Most of them just want to know how _it _measures up to your wand," Ginny said impishly, briefly glancing at the slight bulge in his crotch before lifting her eyes to his.

"Gin!" Harry exclaimed, torn between shock and amusement at Ginny's bluntness.

"Oh Harry! Lighten up! I'm sure it's not that _big_ a deal," she added dryly. 

Harry's eyes gleamed murderously. "You better take that back, Gin," he said ominously. Ginny shook her head, her shoulders shaking with suppressed hysteria.

"All right then. You asked for it," he said, grabbing her feet and tickling them mercilessly. Ginny howled with laughter, kicking at his hands, desperate to escape the torture. Having trouble controlling her thrashing legs, Harry pinned them under his own before tickling her sides. Ginny's hysterical laughter gave way to tears.

"Are you going to take it back?"

"Never," she croaked. Her reply only renewed Harry's efforts as his hands shifted to just underneath her ribs. 

It was Ginny who finally surrendered. "I take it back!" she mouthed, no sound escaping through her hysterical laughter. Harry stopped tickling her, and stared down at Ginny as she fought to catch her breath.

"See? That wasn't so hard," he whispered, slowly caressing the hair out of her face. Danger zone, his mind warned. 

"We should go to bed- to sleep," Harry amended, standing and helping Ginny up from the sofa. "I'm pretty sure that Ron and Hermione will be sharing a room, so you can have mine. I'll sleep on the sofa tonight."

"That's okay. I can sleep on the sofa. I'm sure you would much rather sleep in your bed," she responded politely, knowing Harry would never allow her to do such a thing. She also knew that Harry would never offer to share his bed with her. He's such a gentleman, she thought.

"Gin, I'll take the sofa. You'll be much more comfortable in my bed."

"Thanks Harry," she replied smiling, then kissing his cheek. Harry watched her walk away, noticing how her hips moved seductively back and forth- stop it, dammit! he yelled inwardly. He decided to take a nice, long, and very cold shower before turning in.

Ginny had been tossing and turning for what seemed like hours. She turned her head into the pillow, inhaling Harry's scent. It smelled like fresh laundry and some sort of spice- a very manly smell, she mused. She felt a little guilty having him sleep on the sofa, even though he had insisted that she have the bed. The sofa wasn't even long enough for him. He must be really uncomfortable, she thought. She might sleep more easily if she knew he was more comfortable. 

Knowing she wouldn't get any rest if she didn't do something, Ginny quietly tiptoed out of Harry's room and back into the common room. The fire was just a pile of glowing embers, offering enough light for her to make out Harry's sleeping form. She quickly subdued a fit of giggles as she stared at him. 

He was so tall that his feet were dangling over the edge of the sofa, and he was bent into a decidedly awkward position. Moving towards him, she realized that he was only wearing pajama bottoms, leaving his slightly tanned and very muscular chest open to her perusal. She gently smoothed his hair back, savoring the feeling of her fingers running through his thick but silky locks.

Leaning forward, she whispered into his ear, "Harry, wake up. Come on, wake up." When he finally stirred, she started pulling him up from the sofa and guiding him towards his room. "Harry, go get in your bed. I'll sleep on the sofa." 

Harry knew that he must have been dreaming when he felt Ginny at his side, walking him to his bed and helping him climb into it. She whispered something to him as she covered him with the sheet and comforter, and then she was gone.

Ginny knew that she should go sleep on the sofa now, but she was suddenly overcome with the desire to climb into bed with Harry, just to feel him against her. She knew she couldn't just pass up this opportunity, so she slid beneath the covers and scooted closer to him until her back was against his chest. She expelled a small sigh and smiled as she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

Harry awoke sometime during the night to find Ginny in is arms. He knew he must be in another dream but decided to take advantage of the situation anyway. Pulling her closer, he nuzzled her neck, inhaling the fragrance of her hair. He fell back asleep, dreaming of Ginny lying in a field of strawberries.

Sunlight poured in from the window, bathing Harry in it's blinding light and slowly rising him from the land of dreams. His hand wandered over to the other side of the bed, finding nothing but a handful of sheets. So it had been a dream, Harry thought, disappointed. But it had seemed so real. He had held Ginny in his arms and had woken up this morning, hoping that she would still be there. And now he had a distinct craving for strawberries...

Ginny smiled to herself as she slipped into her dormitory, careful not to wake anyone. Waking up in Harry's arms at dawn only made her want him to love her even more, and she was now determined to have him. She knew that he found her attractive, but she would need to do some serious planning in order to discover his true feelings. Phase one was complete. Now on to phase two…


	3. Part III

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Author's Note: Rae: Hehehehehehehe Jen: Hahahahahahaha Both: Muahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!! *coughing* 

Part III

It was Sunday, the day of the quidditch match, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. Ginny stood before a floor mirror, a smile of satisfaction lighting up her face. Perfect, she thought. She knew Harry was attracted to her, and she had decided that she was going to take full advantage of that knowledge. Thus began phase two…

That morning she had taken careful notice in her appearance. Having borrowed some makeup from a friend, she now had on some baby blue eye shadow, mascara, a little bit of blush, and some strawberry flavored lip gloss to top it off. She had also used a sewing spell to slightly modify her school robes so that they fit _her_ now instead of the slightly larger person who had owned them previously. After letting her hair dry over night in a bun, it was now a red mass of curls that fell to almost mid back. Subtlety was the key. Nothing major…just some slight changes to enhance what was there. 

The Great Hall was filled with students talking excitedly about the upcoming quidditch match, but Harry was too caught up in his own thoughts to notice. He couldn't get last night's dream out of his mind. He sat remembering how perfectly her petite body fit against his… how smooth her skin felt…how her angelically soft hair had the subtle aroma of deliciously ripe strawberries…

And then there she was walking energetically into the hall bringing in the morning sun with her glorious smile. She looked… beautiful. Something was different about her this morning. Harry couldn't quite place his finger on it. Maybe it was the way her hair gently framed her face. Maybe it was the way her robes clung to her gracefully swaying hips. What ever it was, it made him shift uncomfortably in his seat and slightly adjust his robes. Harry's mouth went dry as Ginny plopped down next to him at the table. 

Ginny seductively slid her hand up Harry's thigh and leaned in to him to whisper huskily in his ear. "So, Harry… is that a wand in your robes or are you just happy to see me?" She slipped her tongue in his ear and roughly bit his earlobe before straddling him, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist. He grabbed her ass and fitted her more closely to his hard erection. A deep groan escaped his lips as Ginny began to rock back and forth slowly grinding her sex against his. Harry's hands went instinctively to her breast as his mouth roamed over any uncovered skin. Ginny began to moan softly.

"Oh Harry…Harry…HARRY!"

Harry quickly snapped back to reality finding a very concerned looking Ginny sitting _next _to him. 

"Harry if you space out like that on the quidditch field you're never going to be able to find the snitch. Now if you'll _pay attention_, Ron was just saying that we should go over our game plan."

Despite pretending to be annoyed, Ginny was actually quite flattered with Harry's brief moment of _distraction._ After seeing Harry's face as she entered the Great Hall, watching his eyes slowly glaze over and his breath quite noticeably quicken, Ginny knew that he could have only been thinking about one thing…and she had triggered it. 

What the fuck! Am I losing my mind?! Harry thought, frantically trying to understand what the hell had just happened. It must be the weird night of sleep I had last night, he tried to rationalize, or rather the dream he had had…Dammit! Was that strawberries he was smelling again?! With his thoughts a whirlwind of chaos, only one thing was clear: he desperately needed to take another long and extremely cold shower. 

Fifteen minutes later, Harry had finally gained control of himself and was finishing his breakfast while discussing last minute game strategies with Ron and Ginny. According to Ron, Hermione was still sleeping, obviously exhausted from the night before but would be at the match later. As the three sat huddled in their discussion, they were interrupted by a cold voice.

"Why if it isn't Potty and Weasel- wait, where's your little mudblood friend?" Malfoy drawled with an evil smirk. His eyes darted to Ginny. Pure lust flashed in his eyes as he leered at her. "So the littlest Weasel is all grown up now…very grown up," he added, his meaning not at all lost to the three. As much as they wanted to, Ron and Harry knew better than to start a fight with Malfoy in the Great Hall, especially with Professor McGonogall and Snape as witnesses.

"How's your father Malfoy? Is he enjoying Azkaban?" Harry asked cheerfully, a forced smile on his face. He scowled as Malfoy threw him one last glare before returning to the Slytherin table. Harry raged inwardly. Hot sparks of anger shot through him as he vividly recalled the way Malfoy had looked at Ginny. The bastard, Harry thought. Does that Slytherin prick honestly think that he has the right to even look at- 

"Oh hell, I left my broom in my trunk. I'll meet you guys in the changing rooms," Ginny said abruptly, interrupting his thoughts. She quickly left the Great Hall, and Harry watched in utter dismay as Malfoy followed her out.

"Hey Ron, I also left my broom. Just go on without me, all right mate?" Harry didn't give Ron a chance to answer as he strode purposefully out of the Great Hall.

Ginny wasn't aware that she was being followed until Malfoy had grasped her arm, spinning her around to face him.

"What are you doing in such a hurry, Red? Don't I even get a good luck kiss?" he asked, pulling her closer to him.

"Why don't you go fuck that Pansy bitch and leave me the hell alone, Malfoy," she snapped.

Malfoy chortled softly at her quip. "Well, I would go fuck her, but I'd only be thinking of you," he said seductively, his mouth slowly descending towards hers. Ginny had started to pull out her wand but stopped when she saw Harry striding towards them. 

"Get the hell away from her Malfoy," Harry ordered, his wand fixed dangerously on Malfoy's heart. Malfoy reluctantly stepped away from her, his cold, gray eyes shooting daggers at Harry. 

"I suggest you leave, Malfoy, or else I might be forced to hex you. Which one of the three Unforgivable Curses would you prefer I used?" Harry asked, deadly calm.

Knowing he was defenseless, Malfoy threw one more murderous glance at Harry before storming off. Harry turned towards Ginny to see if she was okay and found her glaring at him instead.

"You just love playing the hero don't you? Did it ever occur to you that I might be able to take care of myself?" Ginny asked, quite annoyed that Harry had totally underestimated her abilities to defend herself. She also had to bite back a smile. He had played the hero to perfection- and for her, she thought dreamily.

Harry reigned in his anger, having learned to control his emotions through countless Occlumency lessons. He didn't want to fight with Ginny again, especially so shortly after their last episode. He took a deep breath before replying, "I'm sorry Gin. But Malfoy was about to kiss you! I had to do something!" 

"Well at least Malfoy knows that I am not a little girl anymore. He was right Harry. I'm all grown up now. I can take care of myself. You don't need to rescue me anymore," she finished quietly. Ginny knew that her words would hurt Harry, but they would also open his eyes and possibly his heart. 

"You're right Ginny. You're not a little girl anymore," he replied, feeling a pang of loss as he uttered the words. Indeed, she was not an eleven-year-old lying in the Chamber of Secrets half-dead. Harry still had nightmares about that incident. Memories of the heart wrenching terror had assailed him for years. He had rescued her then, so it only seemed natural for him to do it now. But she didn't need him anymore. 

Not able to bear the sadness in his eyes any longer, Ginny decided to lighten the mood. "Don't think for one minute that just because you have been released of your heroic duties, you can just let Malfoy get the snitch before you," she said haughtily, playfully shoving past him. 

Harry's head shot up, his heart filling with relief. He moved in front of her to face her, and, giving her a conceited grin, asked, "So, you think that the only way that Malfoy could possibly get the snitch before me is if I _let_ him?"

"Oh shut up, you arrogant prat! Damn, we better run! I still have to get my broom! Oh wait! I'm a witch, what am I saying?" She hastily pulled out her wand and shouted, "Accio Firebolt!" Moments later, her Firebolt came flying down the staircase and into her open hand. Mrs. Norris followed just seconds after. Knowing that Filch was next in the procession, Harry and Ginny bolted towards the changing rooms. 

Harry had given Ginny his Firebolt after Fred and George had given him a Firebolt 500 for Christmas to show their gratitude. The twins would never have been able to start their joke shop if Harry hadn't of given them his TriWizard tournament winnings at the end of his 4th year. Gryffindor hadn't lost a game since that Christmas…

The common room was filled with cheering Gryffindors, all celebrating their victory over Slytherin. They had won the quidditch match with Harry catching the snitch in a glorious dive, ending the game at 230 to 50 points. 

"Harry! That dive was bloody brilliant mate!" Seamus Finnigan yelled over the roar of the party.

"Oh yeah?! Did you see that move Ginny pulled on Crabbe and Goyle?! Those two blokes will be in the infirmary until next term!" Harry yelled back, laughing at the memory. Crabbe and Goyle, the two Slytherin beaters, had both been racing towards Ginny from opposite sides. Just as they were about to crash into her, Ginny had quickly shot up into the air, and the two had crashed into each other instead and had fallen to the ground. It had been a priceless moment.

"Harry! Stop bragging about me! You know that you won us the game!" Ginny shouted, her heart filling with pride. That had been a very impressive dive, she thought. Their eyes met across the room, both filled with admiration. The air seemed to be charged with energy and tension. Harry's eyes involuntarily dropped to her luscious lips and images of him kissing those lips began crossing his mind. Slightly embarrassed for openly ogling her, he hastily averted his gaze, silently berating himself for staring at Ginny for what must have been the hundredth time that night. However, he hadn't been the only one keeping track.

"Bloody hell! I'm the team captain! Don't I get any praise?!" Ron interjected. The team responded by hurtling pillows at him and singing a lousy rendition of "Weasley is Our King".

The party could have gone on until well after midnight, but the following day was Monday, meaning classes in the morning. Harry was about to leave and return to his dormitory, but Ron pulled him back.

"Harry, do you fancy my sister?" Ron asked unexpectedly.

Harry's heart lodged in his throat. "Uh…no! Of course not! She's my friend…almost like a sister really," he replied a little too forcibly. He felt his gut wrench with guilt knowing that he had just lied to his best friend. "Why- why do you ask?"

"I've just noticed that you have been-um- eyeing her- a lot. But I'm glad it's nothing or else I would have had to beat you to a bloody pulp," Ron said jokingly, not really knowing if he would be able to show mercy to any man that took even the slightest advantage of his sister, especially his best friend.

"Yeah, right. Well, I have to go. Good game today mate!" Harry called back to Ron as he hurried out of the Gryffindor common room. Sweat ran down his temples as he sprinted back to his dorm. Not only was he having erotic fantasies about her that were driving him insane, but he had just lied to his best friend- and it was all Ginny's fault.

The next couple of weeks were a blur for both Harry and Ginny as they were swept up into the busy routine of classes, studying, and quidditch practice. Ginny was also working on her plan to manipulate Harry- and what better way to do it than to do drive him insane with jealousy. For the past couple of weeks she had put a lot of effort into her plan by flirting shamelessly with every boy she crossed and keeping up the subtle change in her appearance. 

The Yule Ball was only two weeks away and everyone was rushing to secure a partner. Ginny's head had been brimming with fantasies of Harry asking her to the ball. Of course he had never asked her to go before. But he will this year, she thought confidently. Her plan was going to work. She had already caught him ogling her several times, so she was confident that he would ask her. So confident, in fact, that she had turned down every boy that had asked her to the dance already. And there had been quite a few…

Harry had been a little irritated the past couple of weeks. No, not irritated- just pissed off! For two weeks now he had watched as swarms of boys had followed Ginny around. They had ogled her, flirted with her- and that little hussy had flirted back! He wasn't jealous or anything. He was just a little infuriated that Ginny couldn't find better boys to ask her to the ball. Not that I want to take her or anything, Harry tried to convince himself. He just didn't want any of_ them _taking her to the ball- _them _being every boy at Hogwarts. I'm not jealous dammit! his mind cried out. I just need a girlfriend. Yes! That's it! I'm just really lonely. All I need is a girlfriend, and then I'll be fine and I will stop fantasizing about my best friend's little sister and my life will be normal again…not that it has ever been normal, especially with Ginny in it- dammit! I need a distraction!

Ginny was walking towards the library when she heard Harry calling her. She stopped and waited for him to catch up, and they walked in companionable silence for a few minutes.

"Um, Gin, are you going to the Yule Ball with anyone?"

Ginny quickly masked her surprise, trying to calm down. Could this be it? Was he finally going to ask her? She managed to reply in a casual tone, "Well, I haven't said "yes" to anyone yet, so no, I'm not going with anyone."

"Could I ask you something?"

"Anything," she replied, managing not to sound too enthusiastic. This was definitely it. 

"Well, I was just wondering if maybe…"

"Yes?"

"Uh, well there's this girl that I was thinking about asking to the dance, but I don't know if she likes me or not. What I mean is… I don't know how to explain it. It's kind of complicated," he concluded.

He likes me! Ginny thought happily. So he didn't love her…yet, but that could be fixed. She wished he would just come out and ask her to the ball already. She had imagined him to be more suave about it. But, at least he was finally going to ask her- then again, at the rate he was going, she wasn't sure if he would ask anytime this century. She couldn't wait any longer.

"Harry, whatever it is you want to ask me, just ask me already," she practically demanded.

"Do you think I should ask Lavender to the Yule Ball?" he asked hesitantly.

Ginny mentally screamed. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! She was such an idiot for having assumed that Harry was going to ask her to the ball. And after everything she had done to get him to notice her! She swallowed the lump of tears in her throat, knowing that she couldn't let Harry see how hurt she was. Not that he would notice or even care, Ginny thought furiously. He would probably be too busy drooling over stupid Lavender. She wanted to slap him for being such an ass and then maybe scratch his eyes out- he was so blind anyway! But now was not the time to react. First, she needed answers.

"You like Lavender? I mean _like_ _like_ Lavender?" she asked, masking her anger with a bewildered frown. When the hell did this happen?! Boys! - no- Harry!

"I don't know. I just think that she is really pretty. So do you think I should ask her or not?" Harry asked a little irritably.

"But- but she's the school whore! She's slept with every boy in 7th year and then some! How is that _pretty_?!"

"Well who else am I suppose to ask?! I can't think of anyone else to go with!" Harry exclaimed, annoyed at Ginny's strange outburst. 

Ginny now had two options- no- three. The first would be to slap Harry for that last remark. The second would be to throw herself at Harry and demand that he take her to the ball instead of that Lavender slut. By doing this, she would be making an utter fool of herself and ruin all of her chances of winning Harry. Or finally, she could stick to the plan and go to the ball looking drop dead gorgeous, dance with every boy- man she came across, and drive Harry insanely jealously. It was a very tough decision.

"Harry, if going to the ball with Lavender will make you happy, then you should just ask her. And now would be the perfect time because she is standing right over there," Ginny said, pointing at the pretty Gryffindor 7th year who was standing by the library entrance, putting some lip gloss on. 

"Well, I have to go find some books to help me write my history essay, so I'll see you later Harry!" Without waiting for a reply, she ran past Lavender into the library and hid behind a row of books. She watched as Harry walked over to Ms. Legs-wide-open, giving her his beautiful smile that would make any woman melt. Lavender was no exception. 

Ginny looked on with a sinking heart as Lavender accepted Harry's invitation and then had to hold back a gasp as they kissed. What the bloody hell?! Ginny thought, completely shocked at what she was seeing. Not wanting to watch another moment of this, Ginny tore her gaze away from the agonizing sight, feeling tears burning behind her eyes. But she couldn't cry here. The library was full of students who would be sure to hear if not see her crying. She needed to find a place where she could cry her little heart out without anyone disturbing her- and she knew just the place.

Making sure that Harry and Lavender were no longer snogging at the entrance, Ginny hurried away from the library and towards the one place where she knew she could be alone…the Room of Requirement.

Harry wanted to scream- no- hit something- no- both! He didn't want to take Lavender to the ball! And why had he kissed her?! Harry had to plead temporary insanity on that one. Sure, Lavender was very attractive, but she was also a total slut. 

Even though he kept telling himself otherwise, Harry knew why he had asked Lavender to the ball, why he had kissed her. It was because of Ginny. Damn her! Ever since the kiss and the dream he had had, he couldn't get her out of his mind! So he had used Lavender as a distraction. But now_ that _wasn't even working!

He couldn't feel this way about Ginny. She was his best friend's little sister- 

"That's it!" Harry suddenly exclaimed to his empty common room. 

Everything suddenly clicked into place. He only _thought_ he felt deeply for Ginny! But in actuality, the only reason he couldn't stop thinking about her, why he spent so many nights and _days _fantasizing about her, was because she was Ron's little sister! And because of this, she was absolutely off-limits to Harry! She was like forbidden fruit! It all makes sense now, Harry thought happily. He only wanted her because he couldn't have her. 

But as Harry laid in bed that night, he had the nagging suspicion in the back of his head that there was something more to his feelings for Ginny besides lust… something deeper and more permanent. Harry fell asleep, once again dreaming of Ginny, only this time, she was bathing in a sea of peaches and cream.

Although Ginny was still upset about Harry taking Lavender to the ball, the thought of making Harry insanely jealous kept her spirits elevated. Fred and George had given her new custom-sized dress robes for this year, and she couldn't wait to see the look on Harry's face when he saw her in them. 

Finally done with her essay, she left the Room of Requirement and headed back to the Gryffindor common room. It was quite convenient for her to have a secret room that gave her everything she needed, and she was very grateful to have learned about it in her 4th year when she had been in Dumbledore's Army. Harry had been such a great teacher, she thought wistfully. He had been a very attractive teacher too…

Being so occupied with her thoughts of Harry, Ginny didn't even notice a tall figure blocking her path in the deserted corridor until she had collided into him. Strong arms snaked around her, preventing what would have been a very painful fall. She looked up to see the cold gray eyes of her rescuer.

"It might help if you actually watched where you were going when you walked," Malfoy drawled sarcastically.

"I'm- I'm sorry," Ginny replied shakily. She tried to step away from Malfoy, but his arms only tighten around her waist.

"Let me go Malfoy," she demanded, finally regaining her composure.

"Why should I let go of something so tantalizing as yourself?" Malfoy asked, lazily trailing a path across her collarbone with his finger causing a shiver of disgust to run down her spine.

Ginny slapped his hand away. "Go to hell!"

"Only if you come with me, Red," he retorted.

Having his body pressed so intimately against hers, Ginny was just beginning to notice how similar in build both Harry and Malfoy were. If Malfoy weren't so pale and Ginny didn't loathe everything about him, she might have actually thought him to be attractive. 

"Look Malfoy, my patience is wearing thin, so I suggest you either let me go, or get to the fucking point."

Malfoy snickered at this little announcement and decided to make one of his own. "I'll let you go, but first, you must promise to come with me to the Yule Ball."

It was Ginny's turn to snicker. "Are you insane?! I can't go to the ball with you!"

"Why not? I know for a fact that Potter hasn't asked you to go with him. As a matter of fact, he's taking Lavender Brown," he said tauntingly.

This shut Ginny up immediately. "Why would I care if Harry was going with Lavender to the ball?"

"Well, unlike Potter, I'm not completely blind. I've seen the way you look at him… the way you practically drool over him at every meal… the way you always follow him around like a little bitch in heat-"

"You bastard!" she spat. Had she been so transparent that even Malfoy knew that she was totally obsessed with Harry? Obviously, she thought miserably.

"Don't bother denying that you have feelings for him. I know you do. I also know how to help you."

"How could you possibly help me?" she asked skeptically.

"If you go to the ball with me, Potter will be so fucking jealous, he won't be able to see straight."

Ginny knew that what Malfoy had said was true, but she had some doubts about his plan. Going to the ball with Malfoy would definitely make Harry jealous, but Harry could also consider such an act betrayal on Ginny's part. Ginny wanted Harry to realize that he loved her, not cause him to hate her. There was also the matter of what Malfoy wanted in return for his help. Ginny could only imagine.

"Thanks for the offer Malfoy, but I'm not desperate enough to receive help from you. But if I ever do reach that point of insanity, I promise that you'll be the last person I ask for assistance," Ginny said pretentiously and continued her struggle to escape his restraining arms.

Malfoy suddenly jerked her forward, their faces barely an inch apart. "I wouldn't be so quick to cast me off if I were you. After all, I'm not the one who chose the school harlot over you," he quietly rasped.

The next thing Ginny knew, Malfoy's lips were crushed against hers in a cruel kiss. He stopped her attempts to pry her mouth away from his by roughly grabbing her hair, holding her head firmly in place. Ginny reached for her wand- oh shit! She had left it in the Room of Requirement! She knew there was no point in fighting at that point, so she just stood there, her body frozen with stiff lips as he continued his brutal assault on her mouth.

Malfoy changed tactics and lighten the pressure of his lips to a soft caress. Ginny was completely taken aback at his gentleness. It reminded her of the way that Harry had kissed her. Imagining that it was actually Harry kissing her, she slowly moved her arms up to circle around Malfoy's neck and began to kiss him back. She knew this was wrong, but she wanted Harry so badly, she couldn't help but fall more and more into her fantasy as the kiss deepened. But as she shoved her fingers into Malfoy's gelled back hair instead of Harry's messy locks, the spell was broken. He wasn't Harry…

Sensing her withdrawal, Malfoy ended the kiss, and Ginny felt his warm breath in her ear as he whispered, "Think about my offer before you make a final decision." Then he was gone.

Ginny couldn't believe what she had just done. I really must be going insane, she thought. Completely overcome with shame and disgust, she went into the nearest bathroom and vomited. After washing her mouth out with water from the sink, she stared back at her reflection, Malfoy's last words crossing her mind. 

"There's no way in hell I'm going to the ball with that bastard," she gritted through clenched teeth. 

Her final decision was to go to the ball alone. With her thoughts focused on her dress robes and her plans for making Harry jealous, Ginny was starting to regain her good spirits. She even smiled weakly to herself while imagining the expression on Malfoy's face if she ever told him that his kiss had made her sick- literally.

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Another Author's Note: For those of you Draco fans who now hate our guts: Jen and I love Draco as well. However, for the sake of the story, he is a vile, manipulative, Slytherin git.


	4. First Part of Part IV

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Author's Note: Why are you reading the author's note? Well, as long as you are reading this, want to hear a very sexist joke that I don't' approve of but think it's funny anyway? Q: Why don't women wear watches? A: Because there's a clock on the stove. Lol. Ok, this is ridiculous! Go read the chapter… and review!

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The First Part of Part IV

Harry's eyes flickered to the doors of the Great Hall, waiting for a certain someone to arrive to the Yule Ball. Except for quidditch practices and meals, Harry had seen very little of Ginny. It might have been because Lavender had been spending every spare second of her time practically throwing herself at him. Meanwhile, all Harry ever did was think of Ginny. During her absence, he had begun to notice his life had become… there was no adjective to describe it, really. He just missed her.

"Harry, do you like my robes? I wore them just for you," Lavender purred, rubbing her very ample bosom against his arm. 

Without even glancing at her, Harry replied automatically, "Yes, Lavender. You look very nice."

Lavender didn't like being ignored, especially by men like Harry. For the past couple of weeks, she had spent most of her time with him, but his thoughts had always seemed to be preoccupied with something or rather _someone_ else. But that didn't matter to her. She was going to have her way with Harry before the night was through, and she was willing to use every one of her _skills_ to make it happen.

"If you like my robes, I'm sure you'll love what's underneath," she whispered seductively, slowly running a hand up his chest. Harry shifted uncomfortably.

"I'm going to get some pumpkin juice. Would you like some?" he asked abruptly, deliberately changing the subject. Lavender just nodded her head irritably and sat down at a nearby table with her friend Parvati and Parvati's date, Seamus.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he made his way to the buffet. Quickly grabbing a glass of pumpkin juice, his eyes were drawn back to the doors of the Great Hall. His heart did a little flip-flop at the sight of red hair, but then he realized it was only Ron entering with Hermione. He was about to take a sip of juice to help calm himself down. Then he froze, goblet halfway to his lips, his eyes riveted to the entrance of the Great Hall- and time stopped.

There stood an angel with flaming red hair piled into soft curls at the crown of her head. Yards of ice blue silky and gossamer fabric draped elegantly over her voluptuous form. Tiny jewels glittered at her throat, her skin glowing in the golden candlelight. Harry's breathing came to a halt as her blue eyes met his…

Ginny gracefully entered the Great Hall and paused to look around at the beautiful decorations. Strings of candles floated in the air. Gold and silver banners were hung all around the hall. Small tables covered in white cloths, with red roses and candles as centerpieces, were scattered around the perimeter. A buffet ran along the complete length of one wall and was nearly collapsing from the weight of the delicious dishes it held. The enchanted ceiling imitated the night sky and was filled with twinkling stars. 

But the beauty of the Great Hall faded away as Ginny's eyes became transfixed with intense green ones. She felt her pulse quicken and her knees tremble when she saw Harry. Velvet robes of forest green fell to his feet, accentuating his broad shoulders and long, muscular frame. His hair was just as unruly as ever but contrasted perfectly with his angular face. The words "Greek" and "god" drifted across Ginny's mind. 

Harry was not aware of his feet carrying him forward. All he could think of was Ginny and her beauty. The next thing he knew, he was standing in front of her and saying the first thing that came to his mind. 

"You're beautiful," he said, hoarsely.

"So are you," she replied breathlessly, gazing up into his eyes. The plan, she reminded herself. You must stick with the plan. Do I have to? her heart whined. Her mind began to wander in a dream cloud, and the only thing clear was Harry. She loved his eyes. She could spend all eternity getting lost in those eyes…then again, there were _other_ things that she could spend all eternity doing with him as well…

Harry was thinking along the same lines as Ginny. They continued to stare into each other's eyes for several more moments until someone tapped Harry on the shoulder, ruining the moment. It was Lavender.

"I'm waiting for my drink," Lavender cooed, wrapping her arm around his waist, impudently ignoring Ginny's presence. 

Harry once again began berating himself for asking Lavender to the ball. Then he remembered why he had asked her in the first place- Ginny. He didn't know what made him do it exactly, but for some strange reason, Harry decided to slide his arm around Lavender's waist and pull her closer. Ginny's eyebrow raised a notch.

Lavender was absolutely livid after having to ruin the_ moment_ between Harry and this little 6th year girl who wasn't nearly as attractive as herself. However, his arm around her waist slightly improved her disposition. She gave Ginny a contemptuous glance before asking quite snidely, "Aren't you Virginia _Weasel_?"

Overdoing it _much_, Lavender? Ginny thought sarcastically. "Ginny _Weasley_, actually," she corrected, rolling her eyes. Moron.

"Oh. Right," Lavender said with a forced chuckle. "Sorry." She made a little show of looking around as if searching for someone and then gave Ginny a dramatically puzzled look. "Where is your date?" she inquired with blatantly false concern.

Is this a _joke_? Ginny wondered. "I don't have a date. I came alone."

"Oh my! That must be so depressing to come to a ball and have no one to dance with! You _poor_ thing!" she cried, melodramatically. 

While this muggle-middle school drama had been unfolding, Dean Thomas had been nearby watching the whole scene. Dean had been one of many males in the Great Hall that evening who had become rather _hot and bothered_ when Ginny had arrived, and he decided that now would be the perfect time to make a move on this adorable creature. 

"Oy! Ginny! I'll dance with you!" Dean called good-naturedly, moving towards her. Ginny looked straight at Harry as she responded to Dean's request. 

"Why, thank you _Dean_. I would _love_ to dance with you." With that Dean swept Ginny away from a very annoyed Harry and very content Lavender. 

Harry's eyes narrowed as he watched Dean twirl Ginny around the dance floor. While Lavender had been bad mouthing Ginny, Harry had noticed quite irritably that Dean had been eavesdropping. Finally hearing his cue, Dean had arrived in shiny armor to offer Ginny a dance and whisk her away from the evil Lavender. But had Dean received the same lecture from Ginny that Harry had gotten for rescuing her from Malfoy? Of course not! _So_, Harry thought, it was perfectly fine for Ginny to have _Dean _play the hero but not _me_?! An emotion that had been plaguing Harry for the past several weeks immediately set off a reaction in him. 

"Let's dance," he practically commanded, dragging a now very sulky Lavender behind him onto the dance floor. However, when Harry pulled her intimately close, Lavender was instantly mollified.

Ginny was actually relieved that Lavender had interrupted her earlier moment with Harry. If they had stared at each other any longer, Ginny would have probably flung herself at him. Then there had been that whole scene with Lavender. _That _had been draining. So far, the night had not gone very well. Luckily, Ginny had brought along a tiny flask of fire whiskey to give her courage. Quickly taking a swig and tucking it into her robes, she turned and accepted another dance with Dean. 

Thus began the longest hour of Ginny's life. She danced with Gryffindors and Ravenclaws alike, forcing a smile on her face and flirting shamelessly with each one of her partners. Some were timid and stuttered and stepped on her toes. Others flirted back and danced adequately enough. Others wouldn't shut up, so she just laughed and pretended to be fascinated by their every word.

What the hell was Ginny doing?! Harry sat at a table with Lavender, staring into his pumpkin juice but glimpsing every now and then at the redheaded witch who was driving him insane with jealousy. No! He wasn't jealous dammit! He was just angry that _he _wasn't the one dancing with her- Oh God, Harry thought. I _am_ jealous. Damn her!

He didn't notice that Lavender was talking to him until he felt her hand run along his inner thigh. He didn't need Ginny. He had a gorgeous woman right in front of him! Although Lavender could never be as beautiful as Gin- dammit! Stop thinking about her! If she wants to dance with every fucking bloke at the ball, then so be it! But he wasn't about to let her ruin _his_ night.

With an intense determination to forget about Gi- that _wench _for the rest of the ball, Harry leaned over and pressed his lips against Lavenders…

The occasional swig between dances kept Ginny's courage up, and she managed to continue her display of cheerfulness. That is until she spotted Harry and Lavender snogging at a table in the far corner. Ginny stood there staring at the couple, her heart refusing to believe what her eyes were seeing. But it eventually sank in. That fucking bastard! An hour of torture for her and her only pay off was to find Harry kissing that _bitch_! That's it! Ginny downed the rest of the whiskey, knowing what she had to do next. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

She spotted Malfoy slumped at a table with a group of Slytherins. She strode towards him, catching herself as she stumbled several times. The whiskey was definitely doing its job. 

While Malfoy was absentmindedly laughing at a dumb joke Goyle had told, he caught a glimpse of a very familiar red head making her way towards him. Knowing something catastrophic had occurred in order for her to be coming to him, Malfoy quickly scanned the room any sign of Potter. The first dark corner his glance rested on contained Ron rounding second base with Hermione. Turning away in disgust, he finally found Potter exactly the way Ginny had- snogging Lavender in another dark corner. Her purpose was only too clear. He excused himself from his group and arrogantly strolled over to her, a knowing smirk on his face.

"Well, well. It looks as if you need my services after all. However, it will cost you," Malfoy said in bored drawl.

"I don't have time for your bullshit, Ferret. Are you going to help me or not?" Ginny snapped, her words slightly slurred. 

"Fine," he answered coldly. A new song was just beginning as the two made their way to the center of the floor. Ginny noticed that quite a few heads were turned their way, and some couples had even left the dance floor to witness this unexpected union of not only a Gryffindor and a Slytherin but a Malfoy and a Weasley.

"If you want to make Potter jealous, we better make this look good." To illustrate his meaning, Malfoy pressed Ginny tightly against him as they began to dance slowly to the music.

The effects of the alcohol and the spinning ballroom were making Ginny quite lightheaded as she danced with Malfoy. She was vaguely aware of his hands wandering past her lower back and up and down her sides. She looked up at him and slowly perused his face, noticing tiny freckles on his nose. 

"You have freckles," she said randomly. Grinning, she motioned him closer to her and whispered secretively, "I have freckles too...right here- Ouch!" she cried, after she had tried to point at the freckles that also covered her nose but, instead, poked herself in the eye. She started giggling at her clumsiness while Malfoy slowly realized that the little chit had obviously been drinking something. Being the Slytherin that he was, Malfoy could only take advantage of the slightly tipsy Ginny an continued his exploration of her body… 

Lavender lazily pulled away from Harry. "Do you want to go someplace more… _private_?" she asked hopefully.

Harry was about to answer but was somehow distracted when he saw- _MALFOY GROPING GINNY ON THE DANCE FLOOR_! Harry didn't stop to think. The only image running through his mind as he advanced aggressively towards the dancing couple was of him beating the shit out of Malfoy.

Ginny didn't know what was happening. One second she had been dancing with Malfoy- the next, she was watching in wide-eyed wonder as Malfoy got the shit beat out of him by Harry. Her mind finally registered what was happening and she threw herself at Harry, trying desperately to pull him off of Malfoy. It wasn't that she was concerned for Malfoy. She just didn't want Harry getting in trouble for hitting the bastard.

After hearing Ginny pleading with him to stop and feeling her trying to pull him up, Harry scrambled to his feet and waited for Malfoy to slowly stand. He noticed with an odd sense of satisfaction that Malfoy was clutching his most likely broken ribs.

"What the fuck were you doing Malfoy? Ginny hates you!"

"Just to clarify, Scarhead, Weasley asked _me_ to dance with _her_," Malfoy managed to wheeze out.

"No… no. You're lying Malfoy. Ginny, tell me he's lying!" Harry's eyes snapped to Ginny, hoping to find some sort of sign from her that what Malfoy had said wasn't true.

This was it, she thought. This was her chance to make Harry insanely jealous. Ginny lifted her chin defiantly and met Harry's probing gaze head on. "Malfoy's telling the truth, Harry. I asked _him_ to dance with _me_."

Something inside Harry snapped. He grabbed Ginny and roughly hauled her out of the Great Hall past a now very infuriated Lavender. People turned to gape at them; Harry looking as if he would kill anyone who got in his path and Ginny yelling at him to stop.

"Harry! Will you please slow down?! Where are we going?!" she cried breathlessly. Harry ignored her and continued his rapid pace. Ginny was starting to panic. She had never seen Harry like this before. Maybe she had gone a little too far this time…

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Another Author's Note: Oooooooo… aaaahhhh... a cliff hanger… wooooowwww…


	5. The Final Part of Part IV

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Author's Note: To the readers who pointed out that Ginny has brown eyes and not blue: Jen and I are fully aware of that fact but decided to use blue rather than brown because we like blue… but thank you for pointing it out anyway. To those readers who were waiting patiently for a love scene: This is _the_ chapter. To those readers who have waited since November for us to update: Jen and I took a long time on this chapter because it's a pivotal part in the story. We had to read it over a thousand times before we were completely… _satisfied._ And to all of our readers: Enjoy!

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The Final Part of Part IV… _finally_

The lion statue skipped its traditional yawn, frantically scurrying aside as Harry stormed towards his dormitory and barked the password. He flung open the door, pulled Ginny into the common room and threw her into the nearest armchair. He then slammed the door shut, the wood hitting the frame with a thundering crash. Whirling around to face Ginny, he pinned her to the spot with a furious glare. 

"What the hell is wrong with you?! You have been acting like a fucking harlot all night! First, you danced with every fucking bastard at the ball! Then you let that _prick _grope you in front of everyone!" 

Ginny saw sparks of blinding red as she shot up from her chair and stood boldly before him. She wasn't going to take this abuse! With her chest heaving with anger and her fists clenched painfully at her sides, Ginny began her tirade. 

"I am _not_ a harlot! In case you didn't notice, you _fucking bastard_, I went to the ball _alone _so it was only natural for me to dance with other people! And how dare you call _me_ a harlot when _you_ are dating the biggest _whore_ at Hogwarts!"

"Who _I_ choose to date is none of _your_ concern!" 

"And who _I_ choose to dance with is none of _your_ concern either!" 

Harry raked his fingers through his hair, as was his habit to do whenever he was confused, upset, angry or, in this case, all three. 

"I don't understand you!" he raged. "Ever since that kiss, you have been acting like- like- I don't know! You've just been really weird! Like tonight, when Malfoy was all over you!"

"Well, you were so busy snogging and _groping_ Lavender, I'm surprised you even noticed that I was in the same universe! And why the hell are you bringing up the kiss?! We were supposed to _forget_ about that, _remember_?!"

"I can't forget about it!" he shouted back, his voice filled with more emotion than just rage. They looked at each other, shock registering on both of their faces at Harry's words. It was in that moment when realization finally struck Harry, like a bludger to the head. Because he knew in that moment that he loved Ginny Weasley, his best mate's little sister. Hell, he had known since he was eleven, at King's Cross when he had first seen her, that she was different… special. She had been an enchanting child running after the Hogwarts Express, half-laughing, half-crying, and waving to her brothers. But now, here she was standing before him, a captivating woman, albeit somewhat _tempestuous_… and he loved her. He couldn't hide it from himself any longer.

"I've tried to forget… but I can't," he admitted quietly, not only to Ginny but to himself as well.

Ginny was overwhelmed with a feeling of hope and fear and every emotion in between. She slowly moved forward, stopping only inches away from him. "Why can't you forget?" she asked softly.

He gazed into her eyes, losing himself in the deep pools of blue. His hand reached out to caress her smooth cheek, then slowly traveled down the side of her neck. It finally came to rest on her nape, gently pulling her closer. 

"Why?" she whispered, her heart pounding painfully in anticipation. 

His actions communicated far better than words ever could as he captured her lips in a kiss of fierce passion. They embraced each other, neither one being able to get close enough. Their tongues caressed each other in a forbidden rhythm while their hands explored any skin that wasn't inconveniently engulfed by their robes. 

Harry slanted his arm across her back, fitting her more firmly against him. He heard himself groan as she shifted slightly and began running her fingers through his hair. Hot blood surged through his veins causing sanity to rapidly recede from Harry's mind. He should stop-he knew he _had_ to stop before he lost control and made love to her right there in the common room, which he was certainly most willing to do- No! This was all happening too fast…

Harry reluctantly ended the kiss, dropped his arms and took a step back, his eyes remaining closed. Breathe, he told himself. God, this was sweet agony! He wanted her so badly but knew that he couldn't just take her now. This was all so new to him- well, not the sex part- but actually loving another human being in _that_ way… he didn't want to ruin it by rushing things just because he was randy. Right then. Best to wait. 

"Gin," he began, "I-"

"Don't."

Harry looked at her then. There were tears beginning to form in her eyes. He was about to ask what was wrong- but she held up a hand, stopping him. She inhaled and let out a shaky breath.

"I don't want to hear it, Harry."

"Hear what? Gin, I was just-"

"You just wanted to say that you're sorry! Well, I don't want to hear it!"

"Gin, if you'll just listen to me-"

"NO!" Ginny was furious. The moment Harry had broken the kiss- just like he had done during their first kiss- she knew it was over. His words came back to haunt her… "I'm so sorry Gin…. It was a big mistake…. Let's just forget about it…. You're like a sister to me…" She had been so blind. Even Malfoy had seen it. Harry may want her… but he would never love her. 

The unshed tears began to fall as Ginny looked up at Harry in utter defeat. 

"I actually thought that you could love me… I did everything I could think of to win you. I even tried to make you jealous," she said, trying to smile but failing miserably. She swallowed back another wave of tears, knowing that the next thing she said would be the most difficult. 

"I can't pretend that I only want to be your friend, Harry… not when I love you so much," she whispered brokenly. She tried to move past him so she could run out of the door and out of his life- but Harry caught her in his arms. He gently lifted her chin, raising her tear filled eyes to meet his. 

"I love you too," he breathed, a small smile crossing his lips.

Ginny could only stare back at him in total disbelief. 

"What?" Oh this is just great, Ginny thought. Now I'm hearing things.

"What did you say?" she asked, peering up at him, listening intently as she discreetly pinched herself just to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

Gently tucking her hair behind her ear, Harry stared into her eyes so that there would be no misunderstanding. He then softly said, "I love you, Ginny Weasley." 

Ginny's heart soared. He loves me! Harry Potter loves me! Finally! She threw her arms around his neck and started kissing every thing she could get her lips on. She kissed his nose, his eyes, his cheeks, his chin, and then finally his mouth, laughing and crying the whole time. Harry wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back with all the love that he felt for her… the love that he had held back for so long. 

Suddenly, he felt himself being pulled gently forward by his robes. Then he felt his robes drop back against him and Ginny's lips were gone. Looking up, he saw her standing in the doorway to his bedroom… and she was unfastening _her_ robes. Sliding them off her shoulders, they fell to the floor revealing an ice blue, slinky dress beneath. Any attempts that Harry had spent trying to tame his desire were for naught as he stared hungrily at her delicious curves concealed by a dress that left little to the imagination.

"_Ahem_," Ginny coughed. Harry looked up and saw her holding back a smile. However, she couldn't keep from grinning wickedly back at him after taking a glimpse at the now not so slight bulge that was evident even through his robes. Having followed the path of her eyes, Harry felt himself go red as he quickly did his best to hide his aroused state.

"Now that I've gotten your _utmost attention_," Ginny said suggestively. And with that, she reached behind her and began slowly unzipping her dress. Harry felt his knees go weak and his mouth dry up. But there was also an unsettling feeling in his stomach as if something was wrong. He didn't want Ginny to feel pressured into this or move things too fast for her… although, from the looks of things, she was the one moving things along.

"Coming?" she asked, stepping into his room. She waited patiently by the open door, her eyes holding an unmistakable invitation as she looked at Harry. Despite his prior uneasiness, his legs moved against his will as if controlled by her eyes. He walked past her into his room as she closed the door behind him. Turning to face her, he noticed with some trepidation that she was already moving towards him. He couldn't let her do this… not if she wasn't ready.

"Gin, we don't have to rush things. We could just take it slow-"

"Shut up, Harry," Ginny practically growled. She grabbed him roughly by the front of this robes and kissed him hungrily… passionately. This was all the encouragement Harry needed. Any doubts or concerns that had been nagging at him before vanished and were replaced by hot desire. Losing control of all inhibitions, he grabbed her thighs, lifted her up, and almost died on the spot when she wrapped her legs around his waist. He kissed her throat and collarbone as he shoved her back up against the door and-

"Ouch! Doorknob! Doorknob!" Ginny shrieked. Harry quickly moved her away from the door and set her on her feet. Her shoulders were shaking and- Oh shit! Was she crying? 

"Oh god, Gin! Did I hurt you? Is it bad? Shit, I'm so sorry!" Harry rambled on, trying to pacify her. But when he tilted her chin up to wipe away her tears-"What the- _are you laughing at me_?" he asked incredulously. 

Ginny was indeed laughing- hysterically, in fact. However, seeing the hurt and somewhat outraged expression on Harry's face, she wiped away her tears and did her best to control herself.

"Maybe we should give the bed a go," she managed to say, her giggles finally subsiding. Harry went from embarrassment over his lack of finesse to totally turned on as the full meaning of her statement sank in. Before he could even fully comprehend what he was doing, he was at the edge of his bed, kissing her, feeling her legs wrap around his waist once again. After fumbling with the ties of his robes, Ginny flung it aside and began undoing the buttons of his shirt.

"Er, Gin?" Harry mumbled between Ginny's feverish kisses. "Aren't we (kiss) supposed to- (growing impatient with the buttons on his shirt, she just rips it off)- er- shouldn't we (shirt joins robes on the floor) do some sort of (she goes for the pants) contraceptive spell (undoes the belt buckle) or something before we- (the zipper goes down)- you know-"

Her mind finally registering what Harry had been mumbling, Ginny stopped her frantic disrobing process and looked up at him.

"Oh! Right! Well… do you know a spell?" she asked rather sheepishly.

"Er- I thought you might know one." This is not good, Harry thought. Having had sex with only witches, he had never purchased any sort of muggle protection. And when he had done it with a witch, he had never really paid any attention because the girl had always done the spell before hand. But now… shit, this wasn't good.

Ginny slowly smiled. "So," she began, "_You_ don't know the spell, and _I_ don't know the spell. Tut, tut. Where's Hermione when you need her?" she said jokingly. Then she started laughing.

"Leave it to you to find some humor in a very awkward situation," Harry tried to reprimand… but his resolve cracked and he ended up laughing with her. But after several moments, Harry realized that the problem was still there, and he heaved a heavy sigh.

"Gin, as much as I want to just- well- you know- we can't do it without some sort of protection-"

Ginny placed her hand over his mouth and simply said, "Hold that thought." Then she left him on the bed and ran out of the room. Harry was just about to run after her when she came running back into the room carrying a magazine. She slammed the door, jumped on the bed, and began frantically thumbing through the pages.

Harry read the cover of the magazine, "_CosmoWitch_?" he read skeptically. He then began reading out loud some of the headlines. "25 Sexiest Wizards of the Year… The Sex Wizards Crave the Most…15 Incantations That Give Every Cosmo Witch the Big O… 7 Ways to Blow His Wand Off… What the hell are you reading, Gin?"

"Shh! I'm trying to find something… Here it is! Right, now where's my wand?" Seeing her robes on the floor by the door, she tossed the magazine aside, scrambled to her robes and grabbed her wand. Harry heard her mutter something under her breath and then saw a slight glow about her body that quickly disappeared. Finally, she flung her wand aside and climbed back onto the bed beside Harry.

"What was that all about?" he asked bewilderedly.

"My magazine has all kinds of spells including a contraceptive spell that I just performed," she said slightly out of breath.

"And where exactly did you get such a magazine?" 

"I borrow them from Hermione all the time. Satisfied now?" Ginny asked a little irritably. 

Harry pulled her against him so that she could feel his evident arousal. "Not quite," he replied hoarsely. Trailing butterfly kisses across her temple, he then teasingly kissed just the sides of her mouth. Ginny couldn't stand it anymore. Turning her head slightly, her tongue reached out and playfully swept across his lower lip. Harry groaned and took full possession of her mouth. His tongue explored her velvety recesses making her melt to the core. 

Moving his kisses to her neck, he felt her rapid pulse under his lips. His hands cupped her breasts and then shifted to the straps of her dress- there his hands paused, his eyes lifting to hers in an unspoken question. He had to be certain.

Ginny knew what Harry was waiting for and bit back a smile. Hadn't she done the contraceptive spell? Was he just being a gentleman or could he not take a clue? Either way, maybe she should just torture him and make him wait a little bit longer. After all, he did make her wait for his love for several long, painful years. What's a few minutes more? Oh, fuck it… she had waited long enough.

She slowly moved his hands aside and began to slide the silky straps over her shoulders. He placed his hands over hers, stopping her.

"Are you sure?" he managed to whisper through his ragged breathing.

"Yes," she murmured back, kissing him to confirm her answer. She broke the kiss and moved off the bed to stand before him. Having already been unzipped, the dress fell to the ground with a silent whoosh as soon as she had removed the straps. All she wore beneath was a black satin, strapless bra and matching knickers. She held her breath, a blush blooming across her face.

Harry held her gaze as he reached out to touch her. He could see a fire blaze in her eyes as he made a path across her skin with his finger tips… across the top of her pale breasts… down her smooth abdomen… and then his hand finally came to rest on the curve of her hip…

"My turn," Ginny murmured tremulously. First, she took off his glasses and set them on the nightstand. Then she grabbed the edges of his undershirt, tugged it over his head, and threw it on top of the other hastily discarded clothing. She then reached out to touch him, feeling his muscles jump reflexively under her palms as she slid them down his bare chest. Her lips followed the path of her hands. 

Next came the pants. She hastily shrugged them off of his hips and watched as they fell to the floor revealing a pair of red boxers covered with golden snitches. Despite her efforts to do otherwise, Ginny couldn't help but snort with laughter.

"Nice boxers," she said with a taunting smirk.

Harry grinned backed at her. "If you don't like them, you can take them off as well," he suggested hopefully.

"Not yet," she replied. Harry saw her smile waver and the fear in her eyes. Then a thought came to him.

"Gin, you have done this before, haven't you?" he asked gently.

"Of course," she responded. "I'm just a little nervous is all," she said, giving him a reassuring smile. Well, the second part had been true, she thought to herself. Sliding her hands up his chest, she kissed him and began pulling him down onto to the bed with her. 

Everything became a world of overwhelming sensations for Ginny. Harry's hands seemed to be everywhere… running up her thighs… up her sides… stroking her back. Sometime during his exploration, he had removed her bra which left her breasts bare for his hands as well.

She felt his lips travel down her throat and then gasped with pleasure when she felt his moist tongue on her breast. He drew her nipple into his mouth, feeling it harden against his tongue as he circled it around the coral peak. She arched her back and shoved her fingers through his hair, pulling him closer as he delivered the same attention to her other breast.

Her body quivered with delight as he slowly stripped off her knickers, kissing her thighs as he made his way down. His eyes took in the sight of her bare form… her skin was like peaches and cream… as flawless as porcelain… and she was his…

He kissed her with savage tenderness while his hand massaged her inner thigh and slowly made its way up between her legs. Her breath came to a halt when she felt his fingers press against her most sensitive place. His hands, rough from playing quidditch, were like velvet as he stroked her over and over. It was as if a wild fire had erupted in her thighs. She bucked her hips against his hand as it moved faster and her sudden moan of pleasure was smothered by his lips. She whimpered as his body left hers… but he soon returned… without boxers. 

Parting her thighs with his knee, Harry pushed his maleness against her moist entrance and knew she was ready for him. He plunged fully into her with one, quick thrust- and was horrified when he heard her shriek of pain. He swore under his breath when he saw tears streaming from her eyes. Smoothing her hair back, he began murmuring soothing things into her ear while staying as still as possible so that she could adjust to him inside of her.

Ginny felt the pain slowly recede, and her tears finally subsided. She looked at Harry, ashamed that he was trying to comfort her while she had caused her own pain. 

"I'm sorry for lying to you," she whispered.

"Gin, why didn't you just tell me? If you had told me, I would have stopped-"

"Exactly," she said, smiling tremulously up at him. "You would have waited, Harry. And I didn't want to wait. I wanted this," she said huskily. Harry groaned as she shifted her hips. She liked the sound of his groan, so she shifted her hips again.

"Witch," he growled before taking full possession of her mouth once more. Ginny moaned with pleasure as he began moving inside of her, plunging deeper with every thrust. She reflexively drove her hips into his, learning his rhythm and then following it. Feeling her legs wrap around him, Harry increased the tempo. He saw her hands beside her head on the pillow and entwined his fingers with hers. 

With every thrust, she felt something building inside her. She wanted… she didn't know… whatever it was, she kept reaching for it… she wanted it so badly. She felt his warm breath against her neck as he buried his head into the crook of her shoulder. His movements became faster… more insistent. Just when she thought she would die with pleasure, flames exploded in her and spread through her body. She screamed his name as he plunged into her one last time, pouring himself into her. 

Still intimately joined with her, Harry rolled onto his side bringing Ginny with him. They were both breathing hard… their bodies were covered in a light mist of sweat. He held her close as they slowly floated down from euphoria. Feeling her weight grow heavy against him, he looked down and realized that she had fallen asleep in his arms. Wrapping a sheet around them, he pulled her closer and fell asleep as well.

Meanwhile in a deserted classroom…

"Oh… my… GOD! No! No… don't stop!"

"We have a deal then?" Draco asked, a smirk upon his face as usual.

"Yes! Yes! Just fuck me already!" Lavender cried desperately. 

Draco gave them both the release they were seeking, lowered Lavender from the wall, zipped up his pants, and began walking to the door of the deserted classroom. 

"We'll finalize the plans tomorrow morning," he stated in a cold, business-like tone. He closed the door leaving a fully sated Lavender behind him and strutted down the hall towards his dormitory. An evil sneer suddenly took over his mouth.

"Potter's finally going to get what he deserves… so will Red," he rasped as he passed the entrance hall and headed towards the dungeons.

****

Author's Note: What? You actually thought it would end happily ever after? This is only the beginning. And yes, it's another cliffhanger. However, Jen and I have added a little something extra for you're enjoyment. 

****

The Blooper Reel

Take one:

Harry slanted his arm across her back, fitting her more firmly against him. He heard himself groan as she shifted slightly and began running her fingers through his hair. Hot blood surged through his veins causing sanity to rapidly recede from Harry's mind. He should stop-he knew he _had_ to stop before he lost control and made love to her right there in the common room- Right then. To the bedroom. 

Harry threw a giggling Ginny over his shoulders and carried her to his bedroom instead.

Take Two:

Suddenly, he felt himself being pulled gently forward by his robes. Then he felt his robes drop back against him and Ginny's lips were gone. Looking up, he saw her standing in the doorway to his bedroom… and she was unfastening _her_ robes. Sliding them off her shoulders, they fell to the floor revealing an ice blue, slinky dress beneath. Harry just stood there, staring at her.

"So," he said, clearing his throat, " How about that quidditch match last Saturday? Ravenclaw's doing very well this year. If they beat Slytherin in the next match, they could be playing against us for the House Cup. I was just telling Ron the other day-"

An annoyed and very disappointed Ginny zipped her dress up, grabbed her robes, and went back to the ball.

Take Three:

"Coming?" she asked, stepping into his room.

Harry burst out laughing.

"Oh shut up, Harry! You know that's not what I meant!"

Take Four:

With every thrust, she felt something building inside her. She wanted… she didn't know… whatever it was, she kept reaching for it… she wanted it so badly. She felt his warm breath against her neck as he buried his head into the crook of her shoulder.

Suddenly, Ginny was coughing uncontrollably. After minute or so of this, she stops and looks at Harry.

"Sorry about that. Now, where were we?"

Take Five:

Harry read the cover of the magazine, "_CosmoWitch_?" he read skeptically. He then began reading out loud some of the headlines. "25 Sexiest Wizards of the Year… The Sex Wizards Crave the Most… 7 Ways to Blow His Wand Of… How to Use Your Wand to Find Your G-spot." 

Harry knew he would never look at wand the same way every again.

Take Six:

"Oh…my…GOD! No! No… don't stop!"

"We have a deal then?" Draco asked, a smirk upon his face as usual.

"Yes! Yes! Just fuck me already!" Lavender cried desperately. 

"No," he replied coldly, walking away from a very frustrated Lavender.


	6. Part V I think

****

Author's Note: Yes. I know it's been a very long time since I've updated, but there is a very good reason...well, several. Jen decided that she didn't want to write fanfic anymore. Let's all take a moment to grieve her absence...Oky doky. I'm also a junior in high school, which means this my busiest year ever. Oh yeah, and I just got a part time job so that I would have money to spend on my nonexistent social life. Ok, now go read.

****

Part V

Harry woke up bathed in sunlight, utterly and deliciously exhausted. He had made love to Ginny twice more earlier that morning… the woman was insatiable. At the moment, she had an arm draped across his chest and her legs were entangled with his. 

Leaning back, he smiled and thought of today's agenda. Ginny wakes up… they make love… they take a long, luxurious bath together… and then make love some more… 

A very loud growling from his stomach suddenly interrupted his thoughts. All right, he thought. Today will start with breakfast in bed… buttered toast and jam… eggs… bacon… fresh strawberries…Harry's stomach growled again in anticipation. He would serve Ginny breakfast in bed. Then they could make love all morning. Damn, he was good.

Ginny slowly drifted awake, her mind still hazy from sleep. She languidly stretched her body and realized that there was another body beside her... a very solid, masculine body. Well, this is quite unusual, Ginny thought. Letting her hands wander, they drifted lazily over a smooth and muscular chest and then a nicely toned abdomen. Wandering still further, she discovered a body part that was definitely of the male anatomy. Now this is very interesting, she mused.

"That's a clever way to greet a lover in the morning." Ginny managed to lift her eyelids just enough to see Harry grinning at her. Removing her curious hand from his nether regions, she snuggled closer to him.

"Morning," she mumbled sleepily.

"Morning, love. I sincerely hope you don't plan on going back to sleep now that you have _aroused_ me," Harry said huskily. 

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, but I _do_ plan on sleeping in your arms for at least another hour," she replied, now faking tiredness as she buried her face against him. His chest rumbled with laughter.

"You can stay in my arms as long as you want, you dirty little vixen, but you won't be sleeping," he said seductively. He turned towards her and caught her grinning mischievously before she disappeared under the covers. He heaved a dramatic sigh.

"Gin, either come out from under there, or I'm coming in after you," he said dangerously. Ginny just giggled and stayed where she was.

Smiling in devilish anticipation, Harry was about to dive in after her but stopped when he heard a very deep voice singing outside of his room followed by a very feminine voice yelling at the other voice to shut up. Ginny's head popped out from under the covers.

"Oh god... its Ron and Hermione," Ginny said miserably. "Harry if Ron finds me in here with you... oh shit...we're doomed."

"Gin, we have to face him sooner or later. It's the only way."

"I know. You're right," she replied in defeat. They both looked at each other then.

"Invisibility Cloak?" Harry asked.

"Definitely."

Five minutes later, Harry and Ginny had dressed and were about to go into the common room. Ginny adjusted the invisibility cloak around her and lightly touched Harry's back to let him know she was ready. Harry took a deep breath and slowly opened the door.

Ron and Hermione were already dressed and sitting on the sofa together. Hermione was reading _Hogwarts, A History_ for the billionth time and Ron was reading a quidditch magazine with the Chuddley Cannons on the cover. They both turned around when they heard Harry's door open.

Stay calm, Harry kept repeating to himself. Breathe. Act natural. Say hello and then leave.

"Morning," he said to both of them. Ginny was doing her best to walk without running into Harry. She wasn't used to being invisible. They had almost made it to the door when-

"Morning, Harry. Where you off to?" Ron asked with a yawn.

"Just going to eat some breakfast," Harry replied as nonchalantly as possible.

"Sounds good! Me and Mione will join you. I'm starving. I could eat a whole bloody horse!"

And that's when it happened. Ginny tripped on the invisibility cloak and went flying into Harry who barely managed to stay standing and break Ginny's fall. But it was too late... the invisibility cloak had slid effortlessly off of Ginny and had fallen into a silvery puddle on the ground. For a second, it was as if there was no sound... no one breathed... no one moved... all eyes were focused on Ginny...

Finally, reality came back full force, and suddenly Ron was leaping over the sofa and heading straight towards Harry with murder in his eyes.

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" 

Ron fell to the ground with a sickening thud. Harry and Ginny stared in shock at Hermione who kept her wand pointed at Ron as she made her way over to him. She rolled him onto his back and continued to point her wand at him.

"Ron, I'm doing this out of love for you because I know that you would never want to hurt Harry, your best friend, or Ginny, your sister. Harry, do you love Ginny?"

Harry wrapped an arm around Ginny and stared into her eyes.

"Yeah. I do," he replied firmly.

"And Ginny, do you love Harry?"

Ginny smiled up at Harry.

"Of course," she said softly.

"Now, Ron," Hermione said looking back at Ron, "let's review. Harry _loves_ Ginny. Ginny _loves_ Harry. I'm going to unfreeze you now. If you do anything stupid, I will freeze you again, and this time you will stay that way indefinitely. Do you understand?"

Ron blinked in response. Satisfied, Hermione muttered the counter-spell, and Ron slowly stood up. Harry and Ginny waited anxiously for his reaction. Ron looked Harry straight in the eye.

"Treat her well." And that was all he said. Ginny immediately ran forward and threw her arms around him, thanking him repeatedly for not killing Harry. Ron grinned sheepishly and gently shrugged Ginny off of him. Harry stepped forward and held his hand out. Ron shook it and the handshake soon became an awkward male hug, slap on the back kind of thing.

Harry cleared his throat. "Well, Ginny and I are going to get some breakfast. Do you two want to come with us?"

"No," Ron replied. "You two go ahead. I need to have a talk with Mione." Harry and Ginny grinned and walked hand in hand out of the common room. Ron turned to Hermione.

"You, my love, are going to spend the next two hours showing _me_ how sorry you are for freezing me like that and embarrassing me in front of my sister. After that, I'll consider forgiving you," Ron said resolutely. Hermione came forward and wrapped her arms around him.

"_Actually_, you,_ my love_, are going to spend the rest of the day showing _me_ how _grateful_ you are that I stopped you from alienating the two people you love most in the world. And then, if I am fully convinced, I _might_ forgive you for being such an idiot."

"I'm not an idiot," he said defensively.

Hermione pressed her body fully against his.

"You're _my_ idiot," she whispered seductively against his lips.

"Oh, well, when you put it that way," he said, chuckling as he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom to show her how truly grateful he was.

****

Important Author's Note: Yes! I know! It's shorter than usual. However, it's only short because I have already started working on the next chapter, and I just wanted to give you something to tide you over until then. I also have another fanfic out there called _Why Me?_ Check that one out if you have time. 

And thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'm glad you enjoyed the bloopers! I'll update as soon as possible!


	7. Part VI

****

Author's Note: I have only received positive reviews up to this point. I want to thank all my reviewers... y'all rock my socks! Well, not literally... oh just go read!

Ginny was glowing. She and Harry had been floating on cloud nine ever since Ron had given them his approval. When they had entered the Great Hall that morning hand-in-hand, everyone, even a couple of Slytherins, had applauded. It seemed that everyone had already heard about the incident that had occurred the night before... Harry beating the shit out of Malfoy and then hauling Ginny out of the Great Hall. Now, the new buzz going around was all about the new couple and how they had fallen in love. 

It had, however, been several days since that incident, and Christmas break would begin in less than a week. Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny had decided to spend Christmas at Hogwarts because it was the trio's last year. However, there was also the factor that all four of them knew the benefits of being in a large, deserted castle rather than a tiny house at the burrow where there would be no privacy for _other_ festivities.

Thinking about all the things she wanted to do to- er- with Harry over Christmas break, Ginny was grinning as usual when she entered her dorm to drop off her books before dinner. She was about to take a quick peek in the mirror to freshen up when she noticed a red rose and a white envelope at the foot of her bed. Practically dancing over, she adoringly smelled the rose and opened the note inside the envelope, which read:

__

Ginny,

Meet me in the Room of Requirement for dinner. I have a surprise for you.

Love,

Harry

Ginny was humming to herself as she left Gryffindor Tower and headed towards the Room of Requirement. When she saw Hermione a little ways down the corridor, she ran to catch up with her.

"Hermione! Guess what!" Hermione turned around to look at Ginny and had to smile. She looked so happy.

"I couldn't possibly guess what has made you even happier than you were at lunch, so just tell me," Hermione commanded, now grinning.

"Harry sent me a note telling me to meet him in the Room of Requirement! He says that he has a surprise for me so I've got to run! Oh, Hermione! Can you believe it! This is actually happening!" Ginny beamed before hurrying off towards the Room of Requirement. Hermione stared after her friend for a moment, gave a contented sigh, and then headed towards the Great Hall to meet the man that _she_ loved. 

______________________________________________________________________ 

Harry could have killed Snape. The slimy git had made him stay after class to scrape up toad liver from the floor. But Harry had learned his lesson... when calling your teacher an arrogant bastard, always make sure that they are out of earshot. 

Having completed the gruesome task, Harry was now finally free to go do what he had been waiting to do since lunch... to meet Ginny for dinner... and he was running late...

_________________________________________________________________________

Ginny slowly opened the door to the Room of Requirement and stood in awe. It was like walking into a fairytale. The room had transformed itself into a clearing in a forest. Flowers were draped over every surface... the ground was covered with soft, green leaves and flower petals of every color... there was an enchanted ceiling filled with a million stars just like in the Great Hall... the room was lit by flying colors of light. Ginny had the sneaking suspicion that they were fairies...

"Do you like it?" Ginny turned and found Harry standing in the doorway. He closed the door and came towards her, and she rushed forward into his outstretched arms.

"I love it. It's beautiful," she whispered, tears glistening in her eyes. Harry tipped her chin up and brushed his lips against hers. Ginny immediately responded and practically melted in his arms. All of a sudden, the kiss turned stormy and passionate... almost desperate as Harry devoured her with not only his lips. His hands had already found their way under Ginny's robes and were caressing her breasts.

"Harry," she said huskily, "Eager aren't we?" she asked with a chuckle. Laughter erupted from Harry... cold, mirthless laughter causing the hairs on the back of Ginny's neck to stand on end. She looked up at Harry... and almost screamed.

Black messy hair faded to platinum blonde... bright green eyes turned to a piercing gray... the forest around them darkened and all the flowers wilted and shriveled away... and Ginny found herself in the arms of Draco Malfoy.

"Hello, Red. Surprised to see me?" he asked, pressing her more closely against him as he spoke.

"How did you do that?" Ginny gasped, still in shock.

"Well, it turns out that there are some benefits to having a Death Eater as your father. I was able to learn a thing or two about the Dark Arts growing up. Quite useful information if you ask me," he replied, running a finger down her jaw line. Ginny shuddered.

"Listen Malfoy, you better make this meeting quick because if Harry finds you here-"

"Harry isn't coming."

"What do you mean?" Ginny was now shaking, for she already knew the answer.

"In case you haven't already figured it out, _ I_ sent you the rose and the note. Loverboy doesn't even know you're here," he said, sneering arrogantly back her. His plan was flawless.

"What are you going to do Malfoy?" Ginny asked, her voice still shaking, but now it was only acting. She had to let him think he had the upper hand. And more importantly, keep him talking.

"I'm collecting on what's rightfully mine," he said, leering at her. Ginny slowly reached for her wand. 

"What is rightfully _yours_?" she asked, determination pounding in her heart as she grasped her wand. She had her wand with her this time, and she was going to use it.

"We had an agreement, Red. I helped you make Loverboy jealous _and_ got a fair beating out of it as matter of fact. You agreed to give me anything in return... _anything_..."

"You aren't getting _anything _from me!" Ginny raised her wand- but Malfoy had anticipated her actions.

"EXPELLIARMUS!" In an instant, her wand flew out of her hand and Ginny went flying backwards, landing on a large four-poster bed that had appeared out of thin air. Before Ginny could recover from the blow, vines from the dead forest around her had entwined around her wrists and left only her legs free. 

She thrashed her legs relentlessly as Draco climbed on top of her. However, with his weight on her, there was little she could do. Realizing that she had blown her only chance for escape, she became perfectly still, tears streaming from her eyes as she closed them in defeat. Draco smirked.

"You're finally understanding then. I'm in control now, and Harry won't be here to save you... not this time." Refusing to let him have the satisfaction of seeing her in pain, Ginny remained numb while Draco ripped her robes to shreds. His teeth nipped at her throat while his hands tore at her pale flesh. When he finally continued his assault with a savage kiss, Ginny took her opportunity for a final stand and bit his lip as hard as she possibly could.

"You little bitch!" he raged, spraying blood on her. He raised his fist... and the last thing Ginny remembered was the taste of blood in her mouth and then darkness.

_______________________________________________________________

Harry had just rounded the corner when he ran into somebody... Lavender to be exact.

"Excuse me," Harry said, about to step around Lavender- but she stopped him.

"Harry, could I please speak with you?" she asked sincerely. Harry didn't look too eager to speak with her. He was, after all, already late for dinner. Ginny would already be in the Great Hall. Lavender noticed Harry's reluctance.

"Please? I'll only take a minute," she pleaded. Harry nodded his head.

"All right. But only for a minute." They went to a somewhat secluded corner a few feet away. Harry leaned against the wall and waited for Lavender to begin. In a slightly flirtatious gesture, she shook her hair over her shoulder and turned the full power of her charms on Harry.

"I really didn't appreciate the way you ran off with Ginny after the ball," she said, pouting prettily. Harry tried not to roll his eyes.

"Well, I'm really sorry about that, but I love her-" 

"You used me to make her jealous... didn't you..." Harry sighed.

"Yeah. I did. Look, Lavender, I really am sorry for the way I treated you. I think you're beautiful and everything... but I love Ginny," Harry stated kindly but firmly. Lavender took a step forward.

"You may love Ginny, but she'll never be able to please you the way I could... _sexually_," she purred, taking another step closer. Harry stared wearily at Lavender, the predator.

"Ginny isn't experienced enough... you need a _real _woman to satisfy your appetite," she said seductively, now pressing her body fully against his and bringing her lips closer and closer to his. "I can give you exactly what you want-"

Harry turned his head and gently but firmly pushed her away. 

"I'm sorry Lavender. I love Ginny. It's as simple as that." Lavender's head was bent forward, and her shoulders were slightly shaking. Shit, he thought. She's crying. He placed a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"Lavender, I'm really sorry. Please don't cry-" Suddenly Lavender's head shot up and she was pointing her wand at Harry.

"_Imperio!_" Before Harry could even think about how gullible he had been, his mind went blissfully blank. And then he heard a voice.

__

Kiss me.

No, he replied.

__

Yes! Kiss me!

No, I don't want to. Leave me alone.

Suddenly, Harry snapped out of the trance and found Ron pointing his wand at Lavender who had backed away from Harry.

"What the hell were you doing Lavender?" Ron bit out, completely in shock. Lavender was half crying, half fuming because her part of the plan had been foiled. And then she realized something.

"Oh my god," she gasped. She looked at Ron and then Harry. "This was all a set up. I was a just a diversion," she whispered brokenly. Harry looked at Ron bewilderedly and then back at Lavender.

"What do you mean, this was all a set up?" As soon as Harry saw the guilt in Lavender's eyes, an ominous cloud settled above him. 

"What's this all about Lavender?" he asked again, now angry because he had no clue what was going on. Lavender began backing away.

"I'm so sorry... so sorry," Lavender uttered, the words barely audible as she turned and ran down the corridor. Harry turned in the opposite direction, heading towards the Great Hall. Ron jogged to catch up.

"What the hell was that all about?" Ron asked.

"I don't know," Harry replied, "but I have to find Ginny. Something about what Lavender said... I don't know... I just got a bad feeling about this." 

When they arrived at the Great Hall, they rushed over to Hermione who had already finished eating and had been waiting for Ron. 

"Harry, what are you doing? Why aren't you with Ginny?" she asked, puzzled.

Now Harry was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"What do you mean what do I mean? You wrote her a note saying that you wanted her to meet you in the Room of Requirement. She said that you had a surprise for her," Hermione finished, now sounding worried.

"Hermione, I don't know what you're-" And then it dawned on him. Lavender... she said that it was all a set up... that she had just been a diversion... but a diversion for what? Or rather for whom?... Harry frantically scanned the heads of everyone sitting at the Slytherin table. Malfoy wasn't there.

"He's got Ginny," was all Harry said before charging out of the Great Hall. Ron and Hermione followed him.

"Who has Ginny?!" Ron called, sprinting to catch up with Harry.

"Malfoy!"

"Oh shit," Ron muttered under his breath. Panic began to set in. Harry continued to carry the lead as Ron followed five paces behind, and Hermione another ten paces. Finally arriving at the Room of Requirement, Harry motioned them to stay back as he opened the door and ran in. He was not prepared for what he saw.

It was just a normal room, bare except for the limp form wrapped in a bloodstained sheet on the ground. Harry was paralyzed with fear. She was so pale... even her glorious red hair seemed to have lost its luster. Harry took one step and then another and he was soon running to Ginny's side. He ever so gently lifted her up and cradled her in his arms, softly brushing the hair out of her face to reveal a large welt on her temple. 

"Ginny," he breathed, softly stroking her cheek. Her eyelids fluttered.

"Ginny," he said a little more firmly. 

"Harry," she said, the sound barely escaping her lips. Harry felt sweet relief pour through him.

"I'm here, love. Stay with me," he said encouragingly as he gently lifted her off the ground and carried her to the door where Ron and Hermione stood, pale and stricken. They seemed to come back to life as Harry snapped orders at them.

"Ron, you and Hermione run ahead to the infirmary and tell Madam Pomfrey that something is wrong with Ginny, but say nothing else! Do hear me! Nothing else! Now go!" he barked impatiently. Ron and Hermione immediately ran off, and Harry followed carrying Ginny with him.

Thirty minutes later, Harry had told Ron and Hermione everything that had happened over the last several weeks. They were now waiting for Madam Pomfrey to finish examining Ginny. 

"So, Lavender was just a pawn in Malfoy's scheme... a diversion to keep any of us away while he carried out his part?" Hermione concluded in faint voice. Harry nodded, swallowing audibly. Hermione wasn't the only one coming to conclusions.

"Let me get this straight. Malfoy threatened Ginny right before the Yule Ball, and you didn't do anything about it?!" Ron asked furiously. Harry sighed tiredly.

"Ron, Ginny didn't tell me any of this until a couple of days ago, and then she made me promise not to confront Malfoy."

"Well, you should have broken that promise! I would have!" Ron yelled irrationally.

"Will you two please stop!" Hermione exclaimed. Harry and Ron both looked at Hermione, each one red in the face with embarrassment and shame. 

"Now, if you don't mind," Hermione said a little more calmly, "I have a question. What exactly are we telling Madam Pomfrey, Harry?"

"I don't want to tell her anything. As far as she knows, we found Ginny the way she was. Malfoy's name will not be mentioned," Harry finished. Ron nor Hermione questioned him about this odd decision to keep silent. They knew why. If they ratted out Malfoy, he would be sent away and none of them would have the chance to _deal_ with Malfoy themselves. After all those years of hatred and malice, even Hermione couldn't refuse a chance to get even with Malfoy.

A few silent minutes had passed when Madam Pomfrey came walking into her office. Outwardly, she appeared calm, but there was worry and sadness etched in her eyes.

"Mr. Weasley, may I please speak with you privately?" she asked quietly. Harry wouldn't have it.

"Madam Pomfrey, whatever you have to say to Ron, I need to hear it too." Madam Pomfrey looked over at Ron to see if this was all right. Ron nodded his consent. She then looked at Hermione.

"I'm not going anywhere either," Hermione said resolutely.

"Very well," Madam Pomfrey said gravely. "There really is no easy way of saying this. Ms. Weasley has been raped and was suffering from a concussion. Although I have done everything _I_ can do, I will still need to hold her overnight. She is sleeping right now. You may see her in a few moments, but first, I must ask you to explain to me exactly what happened."

For the next couple of minutes, Harry related the full event to Madam Pomfrey, excluding of course anything to do with Malfoy, which shortened the story quite a bit. Ron stared blankly at the wall while Hermione held his hand in hers. They both looked up at Madam Pomfrey when Harry finished. 

"I suppose we won't know until Ms. Weasley wakes up what happened exactly, and even then, depending on the nature of her attack, we still might not know. Now, Mr. Weasley, I will need to contact your mother. I'll go speak to the Headmaster now," she said hoarsely as she walked out of her office.

The three walked quietly to the only occupied bed in the infirmary. Ginny lay sleeping peacefully, the large welt on her temple now only a small bruise. She was still pale, but her red hair shone vibrantly against the white pillowcase. They all took a moment with her. Hermione gently squeezed her hand. Ron kissed her forehead. And then Harry kissed her cheek and whispered 'I love you' in her ear.

Ron was the first to brake the silence as soon as they had left the infirmary.

"I'm going to kill him," Ron said deadly calm. "I'm going to kill Malfoy."

"No," Harry said with finality. "I am."

****

Important Author's Note: Please don't hate me! I felt that some tragedy was necessary to ground this story. But don't worry! Malfoy will be dealt with! I know the whole rape plot is a little hackneyed, but I made sure to keep it less graphic and to renew the plot so it didn't become just another Malfoy/rape scenario. I hope it turned out all right. If you are upset with me, let me just reassure you that there are no more tragedies... there's drama, hate, tears, bitterness, regret, violence, and bloodshed... but no tragedy! I promise. Ok, go review... please...


	8. Part VII

****

Author's Note: Yes. I know. I'm the scum of the universe for not updating in over two months. But I have very good reasons! Junior prom... one school assignment right after another... my first date ever which has led to some boy troubles... and just a whole lot of other stuff. So please forgive me. 

Another Author's Note: I have included at the end of this chapter a very funny and true account of my first date. Read it if you're interested... it was a very comical night.

Ok, I'm done. Go read. 

"Harry!"

"Ginny? Gin, wake up. It's me. It's okay,"' Harry said soothingly, sitting down next to Ginny on the hospital bed and holding her in his arms.

"The dreams won't go away... won't go away," she said faintly as she began to sob. 

Harry had witnessed a woman crying like this only once before. It had been the day before the first term of his 5th year. He had been staying at Sirius's house and had walked in on Mrs. Weasley trying to vanquish a boggart that had been hiding in a desk in the drawing room. She had sobbed hysterically as the boggart had changed from one dead loved one to another, Harry himself included. He had stood there frozen, just watching, not really knowing what to do. But to actually hold a woman whose body was heaving with heart wrenching sobs was another matter entirely.

So Harry did the only thing he could think of to do and pulled Ginny closer, stroking her hair comfortingly as she continued to sob into his chest. He thought that maybe if he held her close enough, he could absorb her pain and make her nightmares go away. 

"I don't want to go back to the Burrow for the holidays, Harry," Ginny said, tears still streaming down her face, her lips trembling.

"Gin, your mum wants you to come home... especially after what's happened." Harry found his jaw tightening just recalling the expression on Mrs. Weasley face earlier that day. She had been frantic, insisting that Ginny come home that very instant. After a calming potion provided by Madam Pomfrey and some reassurances from Ginny herself, Mr. And Mrs. Weasley had left, agreeing that Ginny could finish the last couple of days of term and then come home for the holidays.

"This is yours, Hermione's, and Ron's last Christmas at Hogwarts... I don't want you to miss that. Besides, I can't face my parents again. I want to stay here... with you," Ginny said softly, pleadingly. 

"Alright," Harry replied reluctantly. "I'll do what I can."

"Thank you." She began fiddling with the front of her nightgown and then looked at Harry uncertainly. 

"I'm surprised you haven't asked about- about what happened," she said quietly. Harry looked away.

"I didn't want to bring it up too soon... I was waiting for you to tell me in your own time, I guess." Ginny took a deep breath as if about to dive into a pool.

"I found a note and a rose on my bed when I went to drop off my books after class-"

"Gin, you don't have to tell me right now-" 

"Please," she begged, grabbing his hand. Harry dropped his head in consent. Ginny continued to recall what had happened in a cold, business like tone, her tears drying rapidly on her face.

"The note was from you saying to meet you in the Room of Requirement. I ran into Hermione on the way there, and I told her about the note." Harry took in this bit of information and nodded. Ginny continued.

"When I got there, the room was like a forest clearing... almost like Firenze's classroom... I was standing there looking around when- when Malfoy entered... only it wasn't Malfoy... it was you." Harry's head shot up.

"What do you mean? I wasn't even there-"

"Malfoy was disguised as you... he had some how transformed himself into you."

"Was it polyjuice potion?" Harry asked skeptically.

"No... he seemed to be able to transfigure himself at will... I dunno..."

"We'll figure that part out later... go on," he urged, not knowing if he was ready to hear what happened next.

"So, he came towards me... but I thought it was you... we kissed and then all of a sudden he had changed into Malfoy... I tried to use my wand, but he disarmed me before I could do anything... the next thing I knew, I was on a bed with dead vines around my wrists and Malfoy was on top of me and he hit me... and that's all I remember," Ginny concluded, slightly out of breath.

Harry remembered being in Dumbledore's office after fighting Voldemort at the end of his 5th year, right after he had witnessed the death of his godfather. He had screamed and raged at Dumbledore and vandalized Dumbledore's office. But the rage he had felt that morning was nothing compared to what he was feeling right now...

"Harry? Are you okay?" Ginny asked, fear now evident in her large blue eyes.

"I'm fine," he managed to reply in an even tone. "You should get some rest, Gin. I'll be back later." After placing a brief kiss upon her brow, Harry quickly left the infirmary forgetting any revenge plots against Malfoy he had made with Ron and Hermione... He was going to kill Malfoy all by himself.

Instead of going to his dormitories, Harry strode right past the marble staircase and headed towards the dungeons. Being Head Boy endowed Harry with the password to every dormitory... including the Slytherin dormitories. If Malfoy wasn't lurking down there like the pathetic coward he was, Harry would keep moving until he found the son of a bitch.

Because it was almost curfew, the corridors were deserted and eerily silent. The only sound was of Harry's footsteps pounding against the ancient stone floor. He had just passed Snape's office when he stopped and looked straight ahead, his eyes focusing murderously on a spot just mere feet ahead. There, leaning lazily against the wall was Draco Malfoy.

"Thanks for letting me borrow Red, Potter... spirited little bitch, isn't she?" he said viciously. 

An unearthly howl filled the hall as Harry launched himself towards Malfoy and then suddenly hit the floor, the breath knocked out of him. It was a moment before Harry even realized that he had been hit with a leg-binding curse... his face was beet red with fury as he looked at the smirk on Malfoy's face. But Malfoy wasn't smirking at him. Looking over his shoulder, Harry saw Snape standing outside his office, calmly pointing his wand at him.

Growling in frustration, Harry used his arms and began dragging himself towards Malfoy, clawing the floor in his attempt to get to the bastard and tear him apart with his bare hands.

"Potter, if you don't stop your pathetic crawling, I will be forced to perform a _full _body-binding hex on you. Now, Mr. Malfoy, what is the meaning of this?" Before Malfoy could open his foul mouth-

"_MALFOY- RAPED- GINNY!_" Harry screamed, turning the full wrath of his glare onto Snape. Snape casually glanced over at Malfoy.

"Very, well. You will wait in my office, Mr. Malfoy while I handle Potter. Go then," Snape ordered calmly. Malfoy swaggered into to Snape's office, chuckling arrogantly to himself as he closed the door behind him.

Harry felt his legs release and he stood up shakily. He could taste bile rising up in the back of his throat, and he swallowed it back down. He hadn't even laid a punch on Malfoy before Snape, a man Harry hated, had stopped him with a fucking hex. Hell didn't come close to describing the situation that Harry was in.

"This way, Potter," Snape commanded in his soft, evil voice. Harry followed, his jaw aching from clenching it so hard. 

It was a few minutes later when Snape stopped in front of the gargoyle leading to Dumbledore's office. 

"Canary creams," Snape muttered. The gargoyle sprang to life, revealing a spiral staircase behind it. Snape gestured towards it with his arm.

"Professor Dumbledore is waiting for you," he said, stepping back to let Harry pass. If Harry hadn't been so numb with fury, he might have noticed the fleeting smile that had crossed Snape's face.

After climbing the staircase, Harry barged into Dumbledore's office without preamble and plopped down into a high-backed chair across Dumbledore's desk. Dumbledore was already seated at his desk and stroking Fawkes, the phoenix. 

"You know why you are here," he stated calmly.

"Malfoy raped Ginny," Harry blurted out angrily.

"I know." Harry's jaw dropped.

"You knew! This whole time you knew, and you didn't do anything about it!" Harry raged, his voice now hoarse from screaming.

"And did you not also know that it was Mr. Malfoy who had assaulted Miss Weasley? And yet you said not a word to me..."

"Malfoy would have been expelled before I got the chance to make him pay-"

"I thought you had learned your lesson about revenge from Bellatrix!" Dumbledore retorted rather sternly.

Harry's mind flashed back to the final battle against Voldemort. He had gone after Bellatrix to avenge Sirius's death. He did not know that Ron had followed him... Harry had just been hit by a stunning spell when Ron had stepped in to defend him... Bellatrix had been about to kill the both of them until Dumbledore had come to the rescue. Bellatrix was presently serving a life sentence in Azkaban.

"Fine. I should have told Madam Pomfrey the truth," Harry admitted grudgingly. "So what's my punishment for attempted murder?" he bit out sarcastically.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Harry, there is too much good in you. I will admit that you could have caused Mr. Malfoy some serious injury, but you would have never put him in mortal peril." Harry thought it best not to argue that point although he strongly disagreed.

"What's going to happen to Malfoy?" Harry asked bitterly.

"You'll find, Harry, that every person gets their comeuppance sooner or later. In the meantime, I wouldn't worry about Mr. Malfoy."

Despite his fury and cynicism towards justice in the wizarding world, Harry couldn't help but look hopefully at Dumbledore, as if knowing that Dumbledore had something already planned. 

"Good night, Harry," he said, smiling behind his half-mooned spectacles as he got up to retire.

"Good night, Professor Dumbledore." As Harry left Dumbledore's office, he couldn't help but feel somewhat comforted by the twinkle he had seen in Dumbledore's eyes. 

Clsoing the door to Snape's office, Draco turned and grinned evilly at Lavender who was perched on Snape's desk, waiting for him.

"I'm guessing things went smoothly?" Lavender asked coolly.

"As always," Draco replied cockily. Stepping in between Lavender legs, he pulled her to him roughly and nipped her bottom lip before kissing her savagely. Suddenly, something crashed against the back of Malfoy's head, knocking him unconcious. Lavender repaired the broken jar on the ground with a wave of her wand and conjured up some ropes. Within a few minutes, she had Draco tied to a chair and was waiting for him to stir. He finally woke up moments later and looked around the room with bleary eyes.

"What the hell happened?" he asked groggily.

"Well, Drakeypoo, I hit you over the head with a jar and tied you to a chair," Lavender explained in a patronizing manner.

"Why am I tied to a fucking chair?" he barked, struggling against the ropes that bound him. They didn't loosen. Lavender laughed.

"I have to hand it to you Draco. Your own plan worked marvelously against you."

"Damn it, Lavender, what's going on?"

"Your _plan _Draco! Harry finds you in the hall, attacks you, Snape miraculously pops up, and Harry gets expelled... does that ring a bell?"

"Your fucking point _is_?"

"Do I really have to spell it out for you?" She sighed impatiently. "Oh, alright then. Dumbledore knows that you raped Ginny Weasley thanks to mio, and as a sort of thank-you, he turned over punishing rights to me. Snape decided that he hates you more than he hates Harry so he agreed to help me. I told him about your plan to get Harry expelled, and we came to an agreement... and here you are," Lavender concluded triumphantly. Draco's already pale skin was turning a nasty shade of green.

"Why did you turn on me?" he choked out pathetically. Lavender sighed dramatically.

"I was only fourteen when you raped _me_... don't you remember, Draco? I was your whore for a week until you got sick of me. You used me and tossed me aside, and then I became the Slytherin plaything. Feeling worthless, I let any guy sleep with me and became the school harlot. However, I was obsessed with you. That's why I agreed to help you when you said you wanted to get revenge on Harry for putting your father in Azkaban. But once again, you used me... I was the diversion while you got what you _really_ wanted. Enough talking though. I've waited three years for this." Lavender pulled out her wand. Draco was quivering.

"Come on L-Lavender... can't we just work this out or something," Draco pleaded desperately, his eyes focused on the wand that was now being aimed at his privates.

"Wh- what are you going to do?" he asked, squirming under the restraints of the ropes, beads of sweat pouring down his face. Lavender stared at Draco, not a shred of sympathy visible in her cold expression.

"After I'm done with you, you'll never be able to _use_ anyone else ever again..."

To be continued...

****

Typical End of Chapter Author's Note: Don't hate me. This was a tough chapter to write. Reviews would be cool, both positive and negative. *awkward silence* er... yeah....

Anyhoo! Ok, so the following is a true account of what happened on my first date. The only things that are changed are the names of places and people and stuff like that... but everything else is fact.

So it was my first date. I put on a brand new shirt and did my makeup to perfection. I had just gotten a cute haircut as well, so I looked pretty darn good. One thing you've got to know though is that I am not a "girly-girl." I'm definitely one to choose comfort over

style. I'm not one to care about what people think. However, going on a date for the first time kind of altered my personality just a wee bit.

I was in total date mode. I was flirty and coy and not myself at all. My date wasn't exactly being himself either. Let's face it. Although he is cute in a puppy dog sort of way, he is usually a total dork. But for the date, he was pretending to be Mr. Suave.

Now that you have some boring background information, on with the date. My date, who shall be known as Adam, picked me up at my house. He met my parents and bla bla bla. 

The car ride to the movie theatre was a bit awkward, and Adam gladly pointed that out. He's one of those people who just has to point out the obvious. 

So we get to the theatre and have to park way the hell in the back. When we got up to the ticket box, Adam realized that he had left his wallet in the car. So we ran back and got it, no biggy.

During the movie, he leans over and whispers, "Hey, you wanna see a really cool date move?" Ok, lame but cute. So I said, "Sure." The next thing I know, his arm comes crashing down on the back of my neck. He leans over and says, "Just tell me if you get uncomfortable." Like I was going to say anything and totally embarrass him. So I spent the second half of the movie hunched over with about 20lbs resting on the back of my neck.

We saw _Lady Killers_. It was pretty good. We managed to sustain about five minutes worth of conversation afterwards. We were in a shopping area so we headed over to Barnes and Noble. We spent the next hour playing out a corny romantic comedy. We both happen to be movie fanatics so it wasn't hard for us to come up with the usual date lines. I mean, come on, we picked up a birthday book and read each other our descriptions according to our zodiac signs.

So it was getting late and we decided to head back to the car. Right outside the store he turns to me and says, "Hey, you wanna see another cool date move?" First time was lame but cute.. Second time though is just lame. So I was like, "ok." Then he grabs my hand, but he grabs it the wrong way... so I corrected it and we went on our merry way...

The car ride back to my house was a little tense. Having never dated before, I asked him, "So what happens after this?" I didn't know what happens after the first date. Another date perhaps?

He replied, "Well, I'm gonna walk you to your door and then I guess we could either decide now what to do or just play it by ear." I then explained to him that that wasn't at all what I meant, and we just kind of laughed it off. I mentioned getting together again, and he seemed _okay_ with the idea.

The front porch light was on, so he parked in my driveway and we kind of just sat there. Then he turns to me and he says, "Ok, I really want to do something, but I know you're going to slap me."

Being my idiotic date-self, I was like, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh come, on. We both know what I'm alluding to," he responded.

"No, really I don't," my coy, girly self replied.

"Urgh! Stop playing games!" He takes a deep breath. "Ok, I'm just gonna do it."

What happened next gave me nightmares for over a week. I go in playing it safe... lips closed... tentative... just testing the water. He came at me with his mouth open and started slobbering all over me. He was basically doing the mouth open but no tongue makeout thing while I'm just sitting there, praying for it to end.

Suddenly, he tore his mouth away from mine and exclaimed, "Man, we suck at this!" We? _We?_ _He_ had the fish mouth! _He_ was one that slobbered all over me! But, you know, moving on with the story...

For some strange reason, Adam decided that he wanted to give it another go... and once again, he failed miserably. So we talked about how we could improve our kissing, and I just told him flat out, "Don't open your mouth." 

At this point he was starting to get more and more aggressive like Happy Gilmore trying to whack the golf ball out of the tall grass. At one point, he grabbed the back of my head and rammed my face into his. No matter how hard he tried though, he couldn't get it right. 

I was finally saved by the parentals when they called my cell phone wondering where the hell I was. Adam asked for one more kiss, so we kissed, and then I broke it off rather quickly. He looked a little disappointed, but then my stupid date-self said, "Maybe we can get together later and 'work on it'." Riiiiight. He, however, grinned from ear to ear and seemed rather enthusiastic about the idea.

A couple of days later, we talked once online for a couple of minutes, but that was it. He didn't seek me out at school. He didn't call. He didn't even send an email.

Three weeks of non-communication later, he comes up to me out of the blue on the way to my locker.

"Yeah, haven't talk to you in a while," he began.

"Cha," was my reply.

"I was wondering if you wanted to get together and do something on Friday?"

"No. I can't." He looks at me suspiciously.

"Riiiight. Why not?" This pissed me off.

"I already have plans with friends." Could be true.

"Well, do you know when we can get together? I mean we are both kind of busy... do you know when you'll be available?"

"Gee, sorry. I don't know. I mean, I can't really think off the top of my head like this, ya know? I'll have to get back with you on that..."

"Ok, I'll talk to you later then."

"K, bye."

I'm hoping that he took that as a brush off and never talks to me again. The sheer audacity though! Kisses me on the first date, doesn't talk to me in three weeks and then expects me to go out with him again? Whatever. I didn't really like him anyways.

****

The End. 

  



	9. Part VIII

****

Author's Note: I can't tell you how difficult it was to write this chapter. I must have written at least five different endings. Yes, this is the final chapter. After nine months, the story is finally finished. For those interested, there is a Date Update at the end of this chapter. Enjoy the ending of _No Turning Back_.

"Did you hear what Lavender did to Malfoy?!"

"Yes, but why'd she do it?!"

"I heard from Parvati that Lavender isn't coming back after the holidays."

"Well neither is Malfoy. Understandable considering the fact that Lavender put an irreversible Shrinking Charm on his privates!"

The news of Lavender's attack on Malfoy had spread to everyone in the castle, thanks to Colin Creevey who had been serving detention in the infirmary when Malfoy had been brought in. Colin had even gotten photographs of Malfoy squirming and howling as Madam Pomfrey did everything she could to help, which was basically nothing. But Filch had confiscated the photographs when Colin had tried to sell them to his classmates. Luckily, Dennis Creevey had made copies.

Everywhere they went Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny heard the retelling of events, each version getting slightly more fantastic than the next. However, the only part that all of the stories lacked was Ginny's rape- nor did any of them include Lavender's history with Malfoy. This could possibly have explained why every conversation ended with one question: Why had Lavender done it?

It was the last day before the holidays. Classes had already ended and everyone was out playing in the snow. While Ron and Hermione made snow angels and enjoyed quick snogging sessions in between, Harry and Ginny went to stand beneath the birch tree... the very same one where they had shared their first kiss.

"Seems like ages, doesn't it? Since our first kiss?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah," Harry agreed. He also thought it seemed like ages since they had last kissed, period. He could still remember it. It had been the same day that the "incident" had occurred. They had lingered in the corridors after lunch as everyone had rushed off to their afternoon classes. Harry could almost feel her lips on his again as they had shared a provocative kiss that had only left him wanting more. They hadn't kissed since that day when that bastard Malfoy-

"Harry? You okay?" Ginny asked, interrupting Harry's troubled thoughts. He decided to take a risk.

"I was just thinking about our last kiss... Do you remember? After lunch-"

"Yes, I remember," Ginny murmured. She missed Harry... on more than one level, and she knew that he missed her. She wanted to kiss him... to be close to him again... but-

"Ginny, talk to me," Harry said, almost yearningly.

"Harry, I'm fine. Really."

"Come on. You don't expect me to believe that after everything you've been through," he replied, some of his frustration revealing itself in his tone. Yes, he had been extremely frustrated. He wanted her physically, but it wasn't about sex... something had changed. She didn't talk to Harry the same way she used to. It was as if some wall had been put up between them, and Harry, try as he might, couldn't get past it. Meanwhile, Ginny kept putting on her brave face, always forcing a smile, acting as if nothing had happened to her... and it was driving Harry up the wall.

"Harry, I'm telling you, I'm fine," Ginny said shortly.

"How the hell can you be fine?" he gritted out. "You were raped! You don't just get over that in two seconds!" He knew that he was stepping out of line... but he couldn't help it. He had to get some shred of emotion out of her that was _real_.

"I don't even remember it! None of it! There's nothing to get over!" Ginny snapped, not noticing that people passing had turned to listen to the brewing argument.

"Damn it, Ginny, why won't you just talk to me! Just let me help you!"

"Oh! So that's what this is all about! You need to save me again, right?! You want to help me, Harry? Fine! Just leave me alone! That would be a big help!" she raged. Anger was the only emotion that Ginny could deal with. She knew that her argument sounded stupid and unreasonable... but she didn't care.

"Ginny," Harry murmured urgently, reaching out to her- but she backed away.

"Leave me alone," she said coldly, before walking back to the castle. Harry kicked the snow in frustration. How was he supposed to get through to her? What was he supposed to say? Do? Everytime he had tried to talk to her about what had happened, she had changed the subject or had said that she didn't want to talk about it. And Harry had always let it go... but this time he hadn't. Now, Ginny didn't want to talk to him at all.

Slumping over in defeat, Harry made his way slowly back to the castle. Instead of heading towards his dormitories however, he went to the Room of Requirement intent on drowning his frustrations in a bottle of firewhisky.

A few hours later, Harry was completely inebriated and mumbling incoherently to himself as he collapsed in a chair by a cold fireplace. And that was how Hermione found him.

"I knew you'd be here," she said as she walked over to Harry who was nearly passed out.

"Mione... 'ave some whiskers," he mumbled holding up the empty bottle of firewhisky.

Hermione sighed, pointed her wand at Harry, and muttered, "_Siccus!_"

Immediately, Harry sat up and stared at Hermione, his eyes no longer blood shot.

"What did you sober me up for?" he asked angrily, sitting up and irritably straightening his robes.

"Harry, getting trashed is no way to handle the situation," Hermione stated calmly.

"I dunno what you're talking about," Harry snapped, quickly getting to his feet and grabbing another bottle of firewhisky that had appeared on a table next to him. Before he could take a sip, Hermione had grabbed it and thrown into the empty fireplace where it shattered.

"Hermione?! What the hell did you do that for?!" Harry cried.

"Harry, just shut up and listen to me for a moment," she said, a little impatiently. Harry looked at her wearily as he sat back down. Hermione conjured up a seat for herself and sat down as well.

"I know that you and Ginny are having problems," she began gently. Harry shifted uncomfortably.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked. Harry would have loved to talk about it... but this was Hermione. He wasn't sure if he wanted to share his love problems with a female friend. Hermione seemed to have read his thoughts.

"I know it might be a little strange to talk to me about your relationship because I'm a girl, Harry... but really, that's the reason you _should_ talk to me. I can offer you a different perspective." Harry mulled this over in his brain and decided that it might actually be a good idea to get a female perspective. Then he might find out what the hell was going on in Ginny's brain. He sighed dejectedly.

"I dunno, Hermione. Ginny won't talk to me about anything, you know? I keep trying to get to her, but nothing works. And today we had a fight, and now she won't talk to me at all. It's just so frustrating because I know she's just trying to act strong... but all I want to do is help her."

"That's interesting because Ron and I felt the exact same way with you, Harry," Hermione said with a hint of amusement in her voice. Harry looked somewhat surprised.

"You did?" he asked.

"Yes, especially after Sirius's death. You wouldn't talk to us. And all we wanted to do was help. So how did you feel then?" Harry sighed, comprehension finally dawning.

"I felt like you wouldn't understand... I felt alone. I also didn't want you to pity me anymore than you already did." Now he began to understand how Ginny must feel.

Hermione could tell that there was more on Harry's mind, so she waited patiently for him to continue.

"There's something else that's bothering me," he began.

"Yes, I figured as much. Continue."

"Ginny has been- er- distant lately," Harry said reluctantly, his eyes focusing on anything but Hermione.

"Oh just say it, Harry! I may be a girl, but I'm not ignorant of the way the man's mind works!"

"Ok, fine. I miss her... physically. I mean, not the sex really, just... being close to her. Everytime I try to hold her hand or just hold her, she gets shifty... it's as if she doesn't want to get too close to me. And she gets angry everytime I want to talk to her or get close."

"I think she might blame herself for what happened and resorting to anger is the way she defends herself from feeling any other emotions," Hermione declared logically. "She's probably punishing herself and that's why she won't allow you to comfort her, Harry."

"So what do I do?" he asked hopelessly.

"Well, I went to the library while you were- er- recuperating, and I found a book on psychology. Quite fascinating, really. It was all about traumatic episodes and how to alter one's memory-"

"Alter one's memory? What do you mean? Like a Memory Charm?" Harry asked, now sitting on the edge of his chair, paying rapt attention.

"No, not a spell that alter one's memory. It's more like recreating a memory- for Ginny, it would be recreating the rape memory." Harry continued to stare at Hermione, having no clue what she was going on about.

"It's difficult to explain really," Hermione continued, "but what the process essentially does is replace the traumatic memory with a happier memory. I must warn you though. Although this procedure has been proven quite effective, it will be extremely painful for Ginny and yourself." Harry looked utterly bewildered.

"Right. Now I'm really confused." Hermione gave an exasperated laugh.

"Alright, let me start from the beginning..."

Ginny had just finished dinner with Hermione. Harry had been absent. She felt the usual hollow feeling catch in her chest as she climbed the stairs to her dormitory. Tears were stinging the back of her eyes, but she forced them to subside. She closed the door behind her as she entered her dormitory and was about to collapse on her bed when she heard a tapping at the window. It was Hedwig.

"What do you have for me, Hedwig?" Ginny asked, feeling the cold wintry air pour in from the open window. Turning back, she saw what Hedwig had brought her and held back a gasp. It was a note along with a single white rose. She didn't even notice that Hedwig had already flown back out the window as she picked up the note and read:

__

Ginny,

Meet me in the Room of Requirement.

Love,

Harry

What was Harry playing at? Ginny wondered. Curious and yet somewhat annoyed at the same time, Ginny grabbed a cloak and quickly made her way to the seventh floor corridor. She stopped in front of the door, her heart starting to beat more quickly in her growing apprehension. What if it hadn't been Harry? she thought frantically. Maybe this was another trap... Maybe someone had stolen Hedwig... maybe someone had found out about her and Malfoy...

More crazy thoughts began flitting through her mind as Ginny reached out a trembling hand, opened the door, and entered. She felt as if she had been sent back in time. It was the same as it had been that night. It was like some enchanted forest clearing. Everything was the same... from the flower petals to the fairy lights... except it felt different to Ginny this time around. The mood was somehow lighter, warmer... more inviting...

The door shut behind her. Ginny quickly turned and saw Harry standing there, looking at her with the most tender expression. Just as Malfoy had done, he walked towards her... only this time Ginny noticed a subtle difference. The Harry that had been Malfoy had swaggered towards her. The real Harry walked towards her with an unconscious grace... like a panther...

Even with the noticeable difference, Ginny's heart was still beating quite rapidly. Harry could see the fear in her eyes but knew that he couldn't stop now. He had to do this.

"Harry, why are you doing this?" she whispered hoarsely. Harry ignored her question.

"What did Malfoy do next?" he asked rather roughly. He hated having to say his name.

"I already told you everything," she reminded him desperately.

"Tell me again." Ginny swallowed the lump of tears in her throat and looked at Harry resentfully.

"He came toward me like you just did," she began bitterly. "I thought it was you. He kissed me. I said something that made him laugh... but it wasn't your laugh. It was his. That's when he transformed into himself." Harry grabbed her arms and pulled her to him. Ginny stiffened.

"What are you doing?" she asked anxiously.

"Healing you," he murmured against her lips before kissing her ever so gently. He could feel her stiffening, refusing to respond to him. It was excruciating. It was almost as if she thought he was Malfoy. He thought of Hermione's words.

_"Let her know that it's you, Harry...not Malfoy. Recreate the memory using all the senses. She needs to feel you... hear you... everything."_

"Look at me, Ginny," he said firmly, breaking off the kiss. She raised tear filled eyes to his... but she seemed to be holding them back. Harry grabbed her hands and held them to his face.

"It's _me_," he whispered urgently. He tried to put his arms around her, but she struggled. She felt contaminated by the memory of Malfoy holding her... she didn't want anyone else touching her... especially Harry. Her body screamed against the contact. Despite her struggles, Harry put his arms around her, forcing her to collapse against his chest.

"Don't! Don't touch me!" Ginny sobbed. But Harry only held her closer. She felt herself crumbling under the contact and couldn't hold back the tears any longer. She clung to Harry, sobbing into his chest.

"I was so s-stupid," she cried, anger evident in her voice. "I should have known when he kissed me that it wasn't y-you. And then I was so ready to use my w-wand... but he knew and then he disarmed me... If I hadn't of reacted so slowly, I would have escaped..."

"Ginny, don't blame yourself for what that bastard did to you-"

"But it was my fault... it wouldn't have happened if-"

"But it did happen, Ginny!" Harry said fiercely. "You were the one who kept berating me for blaming myself for Sirius's death! So don't blame yourself for _this_!" he said vehemently, slightly shaking her.

She looked at Harry then, staring into his eyes... and the pain slowly dissolved... the cold, hollow feeling within her began to evaporate... The old memory drifted away, further and further as she stepped closer to Harry and he wrapped his arms around her. This was what she had always wanted- Harry holding her in his arms. This wasn't a dream. He was here… she leaned her head against his chest, feeling the strong beat of his heart, breathing in his scent.

She smiled against his robes before she ran her hands up between them and wrapped her arms around his neck. Nothing seemed to matter anymore... except being there with Harry. She felt the stirring of desire awaken within her. Harry could sense the change in her and very tentatively leaned into kiss her.

Their lips touched, and this time Ginny responded. It was as if they had both been deprived from each other's touch for years rather than a week. They found each other's hands and their fingers intertwined... words weren't necessary... everything was explained in a single touch.

The ground beneath them transformed into a soft bed of moss, and Harry lowered them down onto it, laying himself down beside Ginny. Their robes seemed to magically slip away from their bodies and before long, they were naked in each other arms.

The fairy lights disappeared one by one until the only witnesses of the lovers' reunion were the stars and the moon from the enchanted ceiling above.

Final Author's Note: I want to thank everyone that reviewed my story, good or bad. The reviews kept me going and kept the story alive. So thanks again. For those Draco/Hermione shippers out there, my next fanfic is indeed a Draco/Hermione fic called _Bookworm and the Beast_. (I thought the title was cute!) So keep an eye out for that. After that, I plan to write a Ron/Hermione fic... a romantic comedy. But for now, I do have another fic out called _Why Me?_, which is a bit more on the fantasy side. Once again, thank y'all for the reviews and support. I hope you enjoyed my first fanfic. Cheers!

And Now a Date Update For Those Who Care:

**_Previously on the Date:_**

Three weeks of non-communication later, he comes up to me out of the blue on the way to my locker.

"Yeah, haven't talk to you in a while," he began.

"Cha," was my reply.

"I was wondering if you wanted to get together and do something on Friday?"

"No. I can't." He looks at me suspiciously.

"Riiiight. Why not?" This pissed me off.

"I already have plans with friends." Could be true.

"Well, do you know when we can get together? I mean we are both kind of busy... do you know when you'll be available?"

"Gee, sorry. I don't know. I mean, I can't really think off the top of my head like this, ya know? I'll have to get back with you on that..."

"Ok, I'll talk to you later then."

"K, bye."

I'm hoping that he took that as a brush off and never talks to me again. The sheer audacity though! Kisses me on the first date, doesn't talk to me in three weeks and then expects me to go out with him again? Whatever. I didn't really like him anyways.

Unfortunately, Prince Charming didn't take the subtle brush off. A week later, I'm in a classroom for lunch, drawing on the white board to kill some time when my friend J.J. asked me, "Hey, Rae. How was your weekend?"

I remember a little red flag going up in my head because J.J. had just asked this question five minutes earlier, and his tone this time around seemed to imply a warning of sorts. But instead of taking the hint, I got annoyed.

"It was _great_ J.J.," I replied irritably without turning to look at him. Big mistake. The next moment, I felt bear claws drop heavily on my shoulders and heard a deep voice say, "Hey."

I spun around and almost lost my cool when I saw the object of many nightmares standing before me. Luckily, my anger kicked in. How dare he sneak up on me like that!

"So yeah, I was wondering if you wanted to do something this Friday," he asked all suavely.

"I can't," I replied automatically without even thinking.

"Oh, um, how about next Friday?" he asked, completely oblivious to my cold stare.

"We need to talk," I said coolly, looking around, trying to find some place private. He chuckled.

"Oh, is this bad?" he asked jokingly.

"Um, yeah. Let's go out in the hallway."

We get out in the hallway and he leans against the wall. I begin the conversation.

"So yeah, haven't really talked to you in a while," I said, my annoyance clear even to him. He laughed and shuffled his feet.

"Yeah," he mumbled stupidly. "Well, you know, I've been really busy-"

"Really?" I asked, my hands shaking at my sides. "Well, you know, if you were really busy, you could have come and seen me at lunch like you did just now. OR, if you were too busy for that, you could have given me a five minute phone call just to let me know that you still exist. OR, if you were too busy for that, you could have sent me an email. I mean, that would have been a last resort for me, but it still would have sufficed." I was in awe of the fact that I didn't stutter through my whole tirade.

Now he was really looking uncomfortable. "Wow, I really screwed up, didn't I?"

I bit back a retort and just said, "Yep."

"Well, is there anyway I could make it up to you?" he asked.

"Nope." He looked really bummed, so I tried to explain the situation a little better.

"The thing is Adam, I don't think that you really like me. Meaning, I think you only thought you liked me because I liked you. I also think that your friends may have pressured you into going on a date with me." His face turned red.

"Um, no. That's not it at all. I'm actually mad at my friends right now. But you know, if you're gonna be like that..." He seemed a little irate. I didn't appreciate the attitude. I knew I had to continue. Get it all out.

"You see Adam, the first week I didn't hear from you, I felt disappointed and a little depressed. The second week, however, I felt a little pissed off and starting feeling resentful towards you. By the third week, I was over it. I mean, you just don't do that to someone."

"So there's like no way I could make it up to you," he stated rather than asked.

"Nope. I'm over it. Done. Sorry." I was ready to go back inside the classroom, but he still seemed pissed off and hurt. I thought I should show him the brighter the side.

"Well, thanks for finally coming by. And don't worry about it. I mean, it's only high school. Consider this a learning experience," I said cheerfully. He muttered a goodbye and stormed off... most likely to go tell his friends that I'm a total hag or something. I haven't talked to him since. But I have seen him, and he's growing a goatee. Yeah, not a good look for him. Oh well.

****

The End.


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